Clement Baraut
Clement Baraut, Herbes Folles, Loire Valley, Chenin Blanc/ Sauvignon Blanc/ Grolleau Gris, 2023
Clement Baraut is an amazing biodynamic wine maker in an area of the Loire valley called Savennieres, he first moved there in the eighties from Bordeaux and was a standout for his style of freshness and meticulous selection of grapes. Back in the day this area of the Loire Valley was known to allow the chenin blanc to be picked later so that it had time to develop some noble rot, which would naturally make the wines sweeter. As a practice, this fell out of fashion, and the electric /dynamic dry and fresh chenin blanc that we all know and love began to emerge. Clement’s winemaking is transparent, he does not hide anything about the wine and the energy of this practice is apparent when you take the first sip. The immediate thing that hooked me about this bottle is the texture and secondarily the balance. Both are divine. It is a white wine that I think anyone could get behind, even those who prefer reds.
Serving temp: Fridge cold!
Pairing: A hot and melty slab of raclette on crusty bread topped with parsley would be heaven.