There is one hillside in Anjou that makes Chenin lovers lower their voices: Montbenault, a slope of dark volcanic rock above Faye d'Anjou that collectors know from the wines of Richard Leroy. Benoît Lalanne farms vines on that same storied hill, and his Les Noëls de Montbenault and Quarts des Noëls put you on that ground for a fraction of what the famous neighbor now commands, when you can find them at all.
This is Chenin at its most mineral and serious. The volcanic soils give the wines a smoky, flinty spine, and around it Lalanne builds texture: quince, beeswax, a bitter orange edge, acidity that runs through everything like a wire. These are not fruit bombs. They are wines that reward a real glass, a little air, and food with some richness to push against: roast poultry, aged goat cheese, anything with brown butter.
Quantities are painfully small and the allocations we receive tend to evaporate. If everything below shows sold out, consider this page a standing invitation: join the newsletter and you will hear first when the next vintage lands. In the meantime, explore our Loire Valley collection, and if the low intervention approach behind these wines is new to you, our natural wine guide is the place to start.
Showing 3 products
PRODUCT TYPE: Wine
About the Producer Benoît Lalanne is a small-producer vigneron working with Chenin Blanc in the Anjou, farming one of the Loire's most prestigious terroirs: the Montbenault vineyard, whose limestone and schist soils produce wines of extraordinary mineral depth and complexity....
PRODUCT TYPE: Wine
About the Producer Benoît Lalanne is a small-producer vigneron working with Chenin Blanc in the Anjou, farming one of the Loire's most prestigious terroirs: the Montbenault vineyard, whose limestone and schist soils produce wines of extraordinary mineral depth and complexity....
PRODUCT TYPE: Wine
Les Noëls de Montbenault from Domaine Benoît Lalanne is a remarkable expression of 100% Chenin Blanc. Cultivated on the esteemed Montbenault vineyard, known for its biodynamic practices, this wine showcases the unique terroir of the Loire Valley. In its inaugural...
There is one hillside in Anjou that makes Chenin lovers lower their voices: Montbenault, a slope of dark volcanic rock above Faye d'Anjou that collectors know from the wines of Richard Leroy. Benoît Lalanne farms vines on that same storied hill, and his Les Noëls de Montbenault and Quarts des Noëls put you on that ground for a fraction of what the famous neighbor now commands, when you can find them at all.
This is Chenin at its most mineral and serious. The volcanic soils give the wines a smoky, flinty spine, and around it Lalanne builds texture: quince, beeswax, a bitter orange edge, acidity that runs through everything like a wire. These are not fruit bombs. They are wines that reward a real glass, a little air, and food with some richness to push against: roast poultry, aged goat cheese, anything with brown butter.
Quantities are painfully small and the allocations we receive tend to evaporate. If everything below shows sold out, consider this page a standing invitation: join the newsletter and you will hear first when the next vintage lands. In the meantime, explore our Loire Valley collection, and if the low intervention approach behind these wines is new to you, our natural wine guide is the place to start.
