Nicolas Paget is a creative, organic winemaker working in the heart of the Central Loire Valley. His pure, expressive cuvées have been wildly popular among our readers since we discovered him a few years ago – most notably his crisp, dry, unoaked Chenin Blanc cuvée called Melodie. The 2021 of this wine has just arrived and it’s as good as ever.
But this year we imported a new wine from Paget – still dry, still Chenin blanc, but of an entirely different character. Paget’s 2020 Chinon blanc is from more exalted terroir in the nearby Chinon appellation, and the wine’s added pedigree is obvious.
This nose is perfumed and beautiful, with notes of yellow apples and pear compote. The mouth is rich, smooth and very long with notes of grapefruit, honey, lime and apricot. It sees a few months in old oak barrels, which add a smoothness and spice to the lush fruit. If a Meursault were made from Chenin Blanc it might taste like this.
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Paget Chinon blanc 2020
bottle price: $29