This week's sip is the 2021 Anjou Blanc by Pascal Biotteau. Anjou is an appellation in the Loire Valley in France. The area produces a variety of red, white, and rosé wines in still and sparkling styles, but is particularly well known for its still white wines from Chenin Blanc.
The appellation is split into two: Anjou Blanc and Anjou Noir. The Chenin Blanc based wines from the Anjou Blanc are lighter in body with lively acidity and notes of citrus zest. The volcanic schist soils in the Anjou Noir impart a more structured and fuller-bodied expression of Chenin Blanc. The grapes for this particular wine were sourced from vineyards that fall between the Anjou Blanc and Anjou Noir, creating a wine that bridges these two different styles.
This wine has bright acidity and strong aromatics of orchard fruit and white flowers. The palate is strongly dominated by crisp apple notes and a mineral finish. A sip of this wine is like biting into a tart, slightly underripe apple that still hangs from a tree. It's intensely fruity and fresh with a long finish and good body to back it up. The minerality at the end is reminiscent of wet pebbles, and is exactly what I crave in all my whites. This was my first time buying this particular bottle, but it won't be my last.
The best part of this wine however, was the friends it was shared with. It paired perfectly with the homemade steak tartare and the genuine conversation.
P.S. If you look closely, you can see our silly faces in the reflection of the bottle.
