From: Loire Valley, France
Varietal: Romorantin

“The smaller enclave of Cour-Cheverny, however, is something very different indeed; it allows only for white wines made solely from Romorantin. Forty years ago this variety was much more prominent in this part of the Loire Valley, but in the years that have since passed it has retreated somewhat. Today, Cour-Cheverny is its last strong foothold in the region. There are a handful of domaines still working with the variety, and without a doubt one of the best is François Cazin.” –Chris Kissack

Taste: Aromas of quince, fresh citrus, and gently tropical fruits like starfruit and galangal, alongside a smattering of fresh herbs and white pepper. The palate is both fresh and rich, balancing on a lingering mineral finish and mimicking the aromas found on the palate quite well. The fruit on the palate turns toward freshly picked apricot, which is quite pleasurable, noticeable on the middle and finish of the palate. Lovely!

Pairing: Soft cheeses, as well as appetizer and fresh salad fare. Other fantastic, more substantial options include Bresse chicken with morel mushrooms, scallops, shrimp, white fish served baked, grilled or roasted, mushroom in cream sauces (we’re sharing a delicious recipe below for Chicken with Mixed Mushrooms and Cream by Amanda Hesser), veal, pastas or risotto both served with citrus accents or earthy, mushroomy elements.

Chicken With Mixed Mushrooms and Cream
By Amanda Hesser

From the importer, Louis Dressner. Let us tell you how we met François Cazin. In the early 1990's, Joe Dressner and David Lillie (then working as the Loire buyer for Garnet Wine and Liquors) would travel each winter to attend the Salon des Vins de Loire. That fateful winter, the two had set out to find a producer from the recently created Cheverny appellation. Both started from opposite sides of the stand and tasted through every producer there. After comparing notes, the only wines both had truly enjoyed were François'. They approached him once more, this time together to ask if he'd be interested in having his wines imported to the United States.  Here we are, nearly 30 years later and still working together.

Created in 1993, Cheverny is one of the most recent appellations in the Loire Valley. The area, south of the Loire and abutting the marshy region of Sologne (the best hunting grounds in France), has produced wines since the 6th century. The soils consist of various combinations of clay, limestone and silica. Many varietals are planted: Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cabernet and Côt for red wines, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin and Menu Pineau for the whites.

Cazin tends vines of considerable age and the resulting yields are well below average in any given year. His Cheverny is fresh and floral, with appley-texture and crisp acidity. The flavors are sleek and precise. Since 1997, the wine has been bottled unfiltered by gravity. His wines have consistently been the top pick of the vintage at the annual Loire Valley wine show in Angers. By legislation, a Cheverny wine has to be a blend of varietals and Cazin’s white is 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Chardonnay.

Cazin also makes a cuvée of Cour-Cheverny, exclusively from the ancient local grape Romorantin. This varietal, with its high acidity and minerality, can be angular and rough. But in the right hands, it achieves high ripeness and the wine has astonishing grapey, apricot and roasted nuts flavors, kept fresh and lively by good acidity. In very ripe vintages, when the grapes undergo passerillage or noble rot, Cazin vinifies some of his Romorantin off-dry, calling it "Cuvée Renaissance". A considerably smaller amount of red wine is also produced from Pinot Noir and Gamay.

This wine. 100% Romorantin. Cour Cheverny has only existed as an AOC since 1997; François Cazin was instrumental in the drive to establish it to save this ancient local variety. The Cazin vines are planted on clay-limestone soils; some go all the way back to 1928. The farming is sustainable and the harvest by hand. The bunches are direct-pressed and the wine fermented in steel tank with native yeasts. It is aged on its lees without stirring in 23-25-hectoliter foudres for 6 months, followed by some months in underground vats and bottling by gravity with a light filtration a year after the vintage. There are usually a few grams of residual sugar, though they are easy to miss, given the high natural acidity of Romorantin. "Le Petit Chambord" is the historical name of the property and appears on all of its labels.