Pure, fresh and limey on the deep yet bright and precisely flinty-chalky nose, the 2020 Vouvray Le Mont Demi-Sec is a Chenin full of crunchy energy and charm, thanks to its concentrated but round and lush fruit. This full-bodied wine is intense, tight and long but also finessed and vibrantly fresh on the finish, which reveals this crunchy flint stone structure and tension that guarantees an ability to age for decades, though the wine is already dangerously stimulating today. Tasted as a tank sample a few days before bottling in April 2021.

This refined white shows lovely purity, with persimmon, coriander, yellow apple and creamed peach notes, backed by vivid acidity. Elements of flint, marzipan and honeysuckle unwind on the long, alluring finish. A striking Chenin Blanc. Drink now through 2036. 400 cases made

Having tasted this as an unfinished sample and now in bottle, I can state that the 2020 Le Mont Demi-Sec remains pure, refined and easy to appreciate. The 14% alcohol seems a tad warmer than before bottling, which just takes the edge off. Sweet apple fruit and almond croissant speak of some old oak and lees. There is excellent weight, concentration and impeccable balance between the residual sugar and the acid making for a clean, pure, mouthwatering finish. If it weren't for that slight heat of alcohol, it'd go higher, but that's what a dry, hot season does to you.