Domaine Des Forges Anjou Blanc L'Audace 2024

Domaine des Forges Anjou Blanc L'Audace 2024 is a dry Loire white that shows just how characterful Chenin Blanc can be in the right hands. Made from 100% Chenin in a region where blends are the norm, it offers a focused, terroir-driven expression with both precision and generosity. L’Audace represents a more daring, modern approach to Anjou Blanc introduced by the estate in the early 2000s, built on meticulous vineyard work and thoughtful barrel aging.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, L’Audace 2024 is pale straw with bright, silvery reflections, hinting at its freshness and youth. The nose is expressive yet refined, with notes of ripe pear, white peach, quince and crisp apple, layered with acacia blossom, subtle citrus zest, and a gentle mineral edge. Hints of honeycomb, lanolin and a light toasty nuance from the 400L barrels add complexity without overpowering the fruit. On the palate, the wine is dry, medium to full-bodied for a Loire Chenin, with a lovely tension between ripe fruit and vivid acidity. Flavors of stone fruit, yellow apple and citrus are wrapped in a creamy, rounded texture brought by partial malolactic fermentation and prolonged lees aging, while the early touch of botrytis lends a discreet richness and glycerol feel. The finish is long, saline and finely chalky, with a lingering impression of citrus, quince and gentle spice. Enjoyable now for its energy and purity, it has the structure to evolve gracefully over 5–8 years, developing more honeyed, nutty and waxy notes with bottle age.

Production
L’Audace is sourced from silty clay-schist soils around the village of Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné in the southern Loire, a terroir that naturally lends tension, minerality and depth to Chenin Blanc. The plots destined for this cuvée are identified in advance and farmed with great precision: short pruning, debudding, green harvesting, and meticulous canopy management ensure low yields and optimum ripeness. Around late June to early July, manual leaf-stripping on the sunrise side of the vines gradually acclimates the grapes to the sun, encouraging even, healthy maturation. Harvesting begins at the onset of noble rot (Botrytis), at the “Poil de lièvre” stage, when the berries show tiny dark specks and a touch of concentration. The grapes are picked entirely by hand in two to three passes, selecting bunches at different levels of ripeness. In the cellar, the must undergoes alcoholic fermentation followed by partial malolactic fermentation, then the wine is aged for eleven months in 400L barrels on fine lees with regular bâtonnage, before bottling around mid-September.

Food & Serving
This Anjou Blanc is a versatile gastronomic white, ideal for refined but relaxed dining. It pairs beautifully with shellfish (scallops, prawns, lobster), grilled or poached white fish, roast chicken with herbs, veal in a light cream sauce, or richer dishes like monkfish, poultry terrine or risotto with mushrooms. It also works well with semi-soft cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, or young goat’s cheeses from the Loire. Serve at 10–12°C to balance freshness and texture; a light decant of 20–30 minutes in its youth can help open up the aromatics and integrate the oak, but is not strictly necessary.

Producer
Domaine des Forges is a historic, family-run estate where passion for the vine has been passed down through five generations. Based between the Loire and Layon rivers and now led by Stéphane and Séverine Branchereau since 2013, the domaine farms close to 50 hectares across some of the Loire’s most renowned appellations, including Coteaux du Layon, Savennières, Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru and Roche aux Moines. Known for its meticulous vineyard work and its ability to capture both the purity and complexity of Chenin Blanc, Domaine des Forges has built a strong reputation for crafting wines that bridge tradition and modern precision, from sumptuous sweet wines to ambitious, characterful dry cuvées like L’Audace.

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