Chateau de Bonnezeaux La Minee Haute 2020

Château de Bonnezeaux 'La Minée Haute' is a thrilling, ultra-pure expression of natural Chenin Blanc that highlights the spectacular renaissance of a historic Loire Valley estate. After lying dormant for over thirty years, the estate was brilliantly revived by winemaker Mark Angeli’s protégé, Guyonne Sacney, who shifted the property entirely to strict organic and biodynamic farming. 'La Minée Haute' is sourced from a prized single vineyard of old vines planted on a steep, south-facing slope defined by unique schist and quartz soils. Fermented natively with wild yeasts and aged patiently in old French oak barrels with zero filtration and absolutely no added sulfur, this bone-dry Chenin is a high-wire act of natural winemaking, capturing a texturally rich yet incredibly energetic snapshot of its unique terroir.

In the glass, it shows a deep, radiant straw-gold color with brilliant clarity, opening with an explosive, highly complex nose of bruised yellow apple, preserved lemon, and wild honey, backed by complex notes of beeswax, crushed flint, and a touch of natural reduction. On the palate, it hits with a breathtaking combination of wild texture and electric vertical tension. It is medium-to-full-bodied and deeply tactile, wrapping a layered, savory core of quince and orchard fruit around a razor-sharp, mouth-watering line of mineral acidity. The finish is remarkably long, driving home a textbook schist-driven smoky minerality, salty tension, and a clean, bone-dry grip.