# L'Echalier (2023)

- **Producer:** Domaine Bertin-Delatte
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Chenin Blanc
- **Region:** Loire, France
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €23
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** apple, lemon, grapefruit, cream

## About this wine

Domaine Bertin-Delatte was established in 2008 by Geneviève Delatte and Nicolas Bertin after acquiring a single parcel named L'Echalier in Rablay-sur-Layon, Anjou. Mentored by natural winemaking icons like Mark Angeli and Richard Leroy, the duo focuses on minimal-intervention viticulture across their schist soils. L'Echalier is the flagship dry Chenin Blanc of the estate, showcasing the energy and minerality of Rablay's red schist terroir.

## Interesting facts

- The winemakers were mentored by legendary Loire biodynamic producer Mark Angeli.
- Grown on a single 3-hectare vineyard composed of red schist soils at 67 meters elevation.
- Annual production is strictly limited to around 5,500 bottles per year.

## Food pairing

High-acid, mineral-driven dry Chenin Blanc pairs naturally with sweet seafood like lobster and prawns, as well as briny raw shellfish. The high acidity cuts through rich goat cheeses and complements savory vegetable dishes without overwhelming the palate.

## Wine making process

The 30-year-old organic vines are hand-harvested with careful selection. Grapes are directly pressed into fiberglass tanks for fermentation using indigenous yeasts without temperature control. The wine undergoes an extended élevage of 28 months, spending 18 months in tank and neutral oak barrels followed by blending and bottle resting. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal added sulfur dioxide.