There is an elemental quality to great Chenin Blanc that we simply can’t resist. At its best Chenin combines ethereal aromas and light, high toned flavors with deeply carved texture and quiet, persistent power. Domaine les Pierres Ecrite in Montlouis makes this sort of wine. The winery is the work of two winemakers, Coralie and Anthony Rassin, who purchased their estate in 2016, with old Chenin Blanc vines on the banks of the Cher river in Montlouis-sur-Loire. Using organic methods in the vineyard and a light touch in the cellar, they have quickly established a reputation for rich textured, brilliantly crisp and high toned Chenin Blancs with acidity so high that the softening influence of malolactic fermentation never takes hold. In a cool vintage like 2021, their wine simply shines. Aromas of Anjou pear, lime and lemon juice, honeysuckle, chamomile, and a chalky soil note. On the palate, all that vivid acidity brings flavors of rainier cherry, orange, preserved pears, pineapple, and that same throughline of chalky clay mixed with saline minerals. There’s enough weight here to absorb the acidity, but only just, and the wine gives the textural impression of bursting at the seams with starlight. A dijon honey crusted ham would do nicely here, but shrimp and scallop dishes are a good bet too.