The Clos Thierrière Les Pleurs Vouvray 2023 is a dry, textural Chenin Blanc from Vernou-sur-Brenne in the Loire Valley, built around orchard fruit and a firm line of acidity rather than richness. Made by twin brothers Guillaume and Baptiste Frey from vines averaging more than thirty years of age, it sits at the taut, savoury end of Vouvray.

Quince, ripe pear and a squeeze of lemon come first, followed by chamomile, beeswax and a faintly smoky, stony note that grows in the glass. The palate carries yellow apple and white peach, with a bitter-citrus edge that keeps the fruit honest.

Fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel after a direct press, Les Pleurs keeps its shape and clarity: no sweetness to speak of, a slightly waxy weight through the middle, and acidity that runs straight through to a long, chalky finish. The 2023 season in Touraine was a demanding one, with heat spikes and disease pressure forcing careful sorting, and the wine reflects that selectivity — concentrated, but tightly wound rather than plush.

Pour it with roast chicken and tarragon, pork belly with apple, grilled whiting, or a wedge of aged comté. It also handles Vietnamese herbs and rice paper rolls well.

Drinking well from now, with enough acid and structure to reward five to eight years in the cellar; give young bottles half an hour in a decanter.