A nice Chenin Sec

I'd never heard of this producer, but I'm a big fan of Loire chenin blanc, so I thought I'd give it a try.

• 2021 Dominique & Philippe Ivancic Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Terres Turones - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire (2026-02-21)
  Light to medium gold in colour. A very nice nose filled with yellow flowers and fruits. This leaned a little more towards the richer, more textured version of chenin, but also had nice acidity alongside the apple, pear, peach and starfruit flavours. This was a really nice, balanced chenin sec and my first time seeing or drinking a wine from fairly new producer, who has an organic 4 hectare vineyard in Montlouis sur Loire. (A-)

[David M. Bueker]

I’ve never had star fruit that had actual flavor, even in Asia.

If I was living in the UK, I would be chasing Montlouis all the time. John Lewis usually carries.

I’ve never had star fruit that had actual flavor, even in Asia.

Ha! It's not my favorite and doesn't have the most aggressive flavor, but it's not pure neutral blandness. I wouldn't have immediately thought of it as a wine descriptor but the mild herbal-leaning succulence does make sense now that I think about it.

[Jenise]

I’ve never had star fruit that had actual flavor, even in Asia.

I don't not enjoy subtle flavors, but for me starfruit is mostly about texture and presentation.

My closest association with starfruit flavors is a slightly sweeter version of cucumber

[Jenise]

Mark, great comparison.

Glad my tasting note triggered memories of past starfruit experiences!