The 2019 Vin de France Bastingage is a pure Chenin Blanc from 25-year-old vines cultivated on the sandstone and weathered shale soils in St Aubin de Luigné, Layon. The grapes were picked in several highly selective passages and placed in 20-kilogram bins, then pressed slowly as whole clusters, whereas the must was vinified with indigenous yeasts in barrels for one year prior to the final blend being aged for another couple of months in tank, from where this wine was drawn in spring this year. Its lemon-yellow color is bright and fresh, and the nose is intense, refined and elegant, with citrus-fruit aromas and flinty notes of crushed stones. Full-bodied, intense and creamy on the palate, this is an ample, vital, very mineral-driven and crystalline Chenin with plenty of tension, intensity and fine mineral-salty length. An exceptional, long-lasting and dense wine with firm but fine tannins and great aging potential. Impressive!
93 Pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate