Domaine Patrick Baudouin - La Pierre au Carré 2024
In the Black Anjou, west of Angers, Chenin finds on the ancient rocks of the Armorican Massif a terrain of expression of astonishing diversity. It is here, in Chaudefonds-sur-Layon, that Patrick Baudouin undertook in 1990 to revive the family estate founded by his great-great-grandparents, Louis and Maria Juby, at the beginning of the 20th century. A former Parisian bookseller turned winemaker, he has gradually established himself as one of the most committed defenders of the great dry white wines of Anjou, convinced that their terroirs deserve recognition comparable to that of the most prestigious Loire crus. His vineyard, spread between the slopes of the Layon and the Loire, gathers a remarkable diversity of schists, sandstones, and ancient volcanic formations. Certified organic since 2005, the property favors soil work, manual harvesting, and spontaneous fermentations, without seeking a standardized expression of the grape variety. Patrick Baudouin considers each wine as the extension of a precise place, whose personality must be readable in the glass. La Pierre au Carré illustrates this approach with a particularly original interpretation of Chenin, born from a volcanic terroir whose name alone tells part of the story.
The cuvée takes its name from the characteristic stones of the Ardenay vineyard, a hamlet of Chaudefonds-sur-Layon located on the ridge that separates the Loire from the Layon, in the heart of the classified site of the Corniche angevine. The Chenin vines root in cinérites, ancient volcanic ashes sedimented about 300 million years ago, whose light beige formations have the peculiarity of fracturing at almost right angles. Locally nicknamed "square stones," these rocks give the wine its geological identity and contribute to the uniqueness of this Anjou white. After the harvest, the grapes are pressed and the must benefits from a natural settling of twelve to twenty-four hours, allowing the coarser particles to settle without excessive mechanical intervention. The juice is then transferred to several wine barrels, where alcoholic fermentation and then malolactic fermentation take place. The aging continues for sixteen months in these same containers, a duration that allows the Chenin to gradually build its texture while preserving the expression of fruit and terroir. The 2024 vintage, marked in Anjou by a cool, humid, and demanding season, provides a particularly interesting context for this cuvée, whose personality rests on the depth of matter as much as on the natural liveliness of the grape variety.
La Pierre au Carré 2024 belongs to the category of characterful dry Chenins, whose aromatic richness is discovered progressively rather than imposing itself from the first moments. The nose evokes fresh apple, pear, quince, and lemon zest, accompanied by nuances of white flowers and dried herbs. Upon aeration, touches of beeswax, fresh hazelnut, and wet stone can enrich this palette, testifying to the depth that aging brings to the wine. The palate combines a dense and finely enveloping texture with a structuring acidity, whose presence gives relief to the whole without hardening the tasting. Slight citrus bitters extend the finish, accompanied by a saline impression and persistence that invite more to the table than to a simple aperitif tasting. This Anjou white will perfectly accompany pike-perch with beurre blanc, roasted scallops, farm poultry with mushrooms, or an aged goat cheese, whose flavors will find an echo in its texture and freshness. Still young, it will benefit from being served in a sufficiently large glass and can continue its evolution for several years, gradually developing nuances of dried fruits, wax, and soft spices characteristic of great Chenins that have reached maturity.
Grape variety: 100% Chenin Blanc
