Thibaud Boudignon - Savennières - La Vigne Cendrée 2023
Thibaud Boudignon presents with La Vigne Cendrée 2023 one of the rarest and most unique wines of his Anjou estate. Established since 2009, he has made Savennières one of his major territories of expression, revealing dry Chenins of remarkable precision. This cuvée comes from a single plot located on the Savennières plateau, in the immediate vicinity of La Roche-aux-Moines, in an environment where the geology is particularly complex. On a confidential surface of about forty ares, purple and grey schists, granites, clays, sands, and volcanic rocks compose a terroir of great intensity. Planted in 2014 on former wooded lands and exposed due south, La Vigne Cendrée naturally produces concentrated grapes, which Thibaud Boudignon seeks to channel through freshness, precision, and tension. This Savennières 2023 thus illustrates the estate's ability to create a great terroir wine, deep, vibrant, and already very distinctive.
Made exclusively from Chenin Blanc, a grape variety that finds on the soils of Savennières an expression that is both powerful, saline, and mineral. The plot rests on a rare mosaic, where schists mingle with granites, clays, and sands, giving the wine a complexity more layered than a simple tension white. The south-facing exposure favors complete ripeness, but the stony nature of the soil and the precision of the viticultural work allow preserving a very fine balance. The natural richness of the place demands great mastery, so as not to let the wine tip towards opulence. Faithful to his style, Thibaud Boudignon favors élevages capable of accompanying the matter without imposing excessive woody marks. The 2023 vintage stands out for remarkable density, a mineral ashy imprint, and an energy that supports each aromatic layer. This confidential cuvée asserts itself as a Savennières for aging, built on the depth of the terroir and the brilliance of Chenin.
On tasting, La Vigne Cendrée 2023 reveals a luminous golden robe with slightly vermilion reflections, announcing a wine both rich and bright. The nose opens on citrus fruits, with nuances of grapefruit, orange, and mandarin, complemented by touches of pomegranate, cranberry, and ripe fruits in jelly. Aeration reveals a very clear mineral dimension, almost powdery, evoking schists, warm rock, and an ashy sensation characteristic of the place. On the palate, the matter is ample, savory, and perfectly held by a structuring salinity, with notes of pear, Granny Smith apple, yellow plum, quince, lime, and yuzu. The finish is long, vibrant, and intensely sapid, carried by noble bitters of citrus peels, licorice, aromatic herbs, and fine spices. This great Savennières will accompany precise and textured cuisine, such as fish shabu-shabu, crab sukiyaki, pike-perch in court-bouillon, sole Dugleré, or fine fish served with glazed new vegetables. It can be tasted young after careful aeration, but its balance and depth will allow it to evolve brilliantly for many years.
Grape variety: 100% Chenin Blanc
