2022 Thomas Batardière Chenin Blanc 'Grand Clos,' Vin de France (MAGNUM)

Bottled in Magnum only. Certified biodynamic. 100% Chenin Blanc. A new parcel of Chenin planted in 2020, just to the east of the village of Rablay – it’s the last parcel on the hillside where ‘Esprit Libre’ is located. The new parcel for ‘Le Grand Clos’ is located on a break in the hill, on a significantly more eroded schist soil than the bottling of ‘Esprit Libre.’ It’s a characteristic practice for the Batardière estate to vinify according to very specific parcels and soil types around their village. In ’22, this was the very first harvest from this new vineyard, which is why they chose to release it only in magnum format for a very limited swath of longstanding customers – we were lucky to get some! The vintage in general is marked by very intense drought and exceptional heat in Anjou. Thomas and Marie-Lise adjusted harvest dates to maintain the fresh fruit and coolness of the wine.