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Organic. Over the years, this iconic white has emerged as one of the Loire Valley's most exciting Chenin Blancs. Fruit for l'Insolite traditionally comes from two densely planted vineyards on clay and limestone soils riddled with sandstone and flint. The oldest vines are 90 years old. These lieux-dits—Les Cerpes and Saint-Vincent—lie close to the town of Saumur. In recent years, the wine has included fruit from several other plots dotted around the commune. Germain slowly presses the bunches before the juice ferments naturally in 1,200-litre Stockinger ovals and 600-litre casks (ex-Alphonse Mellot). The wine rests on fine lees for another 12 months, slowly building texture before bottling. Germain thinks of this wine as the Loire's answer to German Riesling, hence the name, which means 'unusual'. It’s another wonderful release, rippling with fleshy stone fruit texture, citrus pith, smoky minerality and a food-friendly phenolic bite. The finish is vinous and sappy with a punchy, taut, gently powdery structure and salty mineral close—the hallmark of this iconic wine.

“Dominated by Sémillon that's picked late, just before botrytis really takes off in the vineyards, Guffens's 2020 Le C du Sec du Château Closiot is very promising, exhibiting inviting aromas of stone fruit, orange oil, beeswax, ripe melon, vanilla pod and nutmeg. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with racy acids, chalky structuring extract and a long, penetrating finish, it's one of the most interesting dry wines being produced in Bordeaux today.” William Kelley, Wine Advocate 94 Points