Domaine des Sablonnettes Zeste 2023

Christine and Joel Menard make Zeste at Domaine des Sablonnettes in Rablay sur Layon, in the Loire's Anjou. The domaine is farmed organically and the wines are made as natural wines, with minimal intervention and little or no added sulphur. Zeste is a dry Chenin Blanc grown on the schist and sandy soils of the Layon valley, where Chenin keeps its bright acidity even when ripe. Made in a fresh, unoaked style, the wine is built for early drinking, and the low intervention gives it a lively, direct character. It pours a pale, bright yellow and shows green apple, lemon, quince and white flowers, with the faint yeasty, slightly cloudy quality common to the style. The palate is crisp and juicy, with orchard and citrus fruit driven by keen acidity into a dry, clean finish. This is a wine to serve cold and drink young. Serve it at 8 to 10 degrees in a standard glass.