Chateau de Bonnezeaux La Montagne 2022

La Montagne takes its name from one of the three great south-southwest-facing hills that define the Bonnezeaux appellation, alongside Fesles and Beauregard — hillsides of sandy clay and silt sitting atop broken schist, the same bones that have made this corner of Anjou famous for Chenin Blanc for centuries. The vines here were planted back in 1992, making this one of the more established single-site expressions in Guyonne Saclier de la Bâtie's rapidly growing portfolio, and it's occasionally released under the name "Cuvée Salve Regina" depending on the vintage. As with the rest of the estate's range, farming is scrupulously organic and low-intervention, with fruit vinified simply and honestly to let this historic hillside speak for itself.

The wine shows real mineral intensity — crisp pear and citrus zest on the nose, framed by a saline, chalky structure that runs right through to a long, focused finish. Some vintages, shaped by frost or a tighter yield, lean more concentrated and vibrant, but the through-line is always precision over power: a Chenin built on tension and site character rather than richness. It drinks beautifully on release but has the structure to reward a few years in the cellar too.