DOMAINE FRANÇOIS CHIDAINE

Chenin to the Bone

On one side the Loire and on the other the tufa hillside, welcome to Montlouis-sur-Loire, in the heart of Touraine. Birthplace of Domaine François CHIDAINE which now extends over 45 hectares.

Chenin Blanc reigns supreme over the 22 hectares of Montlouis and the 10 hectares of Vouvray. The vines, which thrive in more than fifty plots, have been farmed organically since 1992 (certified by Ecocert) and biodynamically since 1999 (certified by Biodyvin). They are rooted sometimes on flint clay soils sometimes on clay-limestone soils which transmit a palette of nuances to the grapes…

After starting out on the family estate as a farm worker, Francois decided in 1989 to settle down with a few hectares of vines in Montlouis-sur-loire. Convinced from the start of the richness of the terroir, he specifically vinified each plot and multiplied the cuvées. Aware of having in his hands a unique natural heritage, it is also in this spirit that he was interested from the beginning in the cultivation of vines in organic farming, and then in biodynamics.