Peter Hahn brings both artistic vision and dedication to Le Clos de la Meslerie, which dates back to the early 1600s. Organically farmed 20 to 60 year old Chenin Blanc vines rooted in clay-limestone soils are harvested by hand, before a gently pressing in a restored century-old, hand operated press. Fermented with native yeast in old, neutral barrel, the wine ages on its lees for over a year. The result is a medium-sweet wine with compelling and complex aromas of honeysuckle, poached pear and baked apple with flavors of ripe honeycrisp apple, citrus oil, raw honey, crème brûlée and a touch of sheep’s wool with a savory saline finish. Peter typically makes just one wine per year at the sweetness level that the vintage suggests. In 2016 he settled on a Tendre with 65 grams per liter of residual sugar and 11% alcohol, lower than a typical dry Vouvray. This puts is squarely between a dessert wine and a dry wine, similar to a German Auslese and makes a perfect aperitif or a less sweet dessert wine. A stunning and versatile wine that defies categorization, it pairs beautifully with foie gras, baked honey ham, butternut squash soup, or an airy chocolate soufflé.
