Chapeau Chenin Vdf, Château Thébaud 2020

Country: France 

Region: Loire

Grape: Chenin Blanc

Volume: 75cl

ABV: 12%

Vintage: 2020

Suitable for Vegans: Yes

Food pairing: Summer salads, goats’ cheese, poached fish and poultry and obviously in a glass on a hot day for a rewarding aperitif.

One of the Loire’s rising stars, Jérémie Huchet is a fourth-generation winemaker making his mark in Muscadet. Having taken over the family estate in 2001, 

Jérémie immediately went about purchasing some fantastic vineyards (which now total 64 hectares), and slowly converting everything to organic viticulture. He’s absolutely committed to respecting Muscadet’s ancient traditions, better understanding each plot he works with, and making world-class wines. He describes his philosophy best: ‘The intelligence of the wine grower, from generation to generation, is his sense of observation. 

The endless walks he will take in “his” terroirs, the maintenance and the total respect for the microbic life of the soil, hand-harvesting, observing the age of the vine, the way it has been looked after, its replacement after its death. 

All these things must be done to maintain the integrity of the location.” In the cellar he uses a combination of stainless steel vats and new underground concrete vats lined with glass, as well as concrete eggs.