The Château de Coulaine Chinon Blanc Sinople 2022 is a dry, textural Chenin Blanc from Chinon in the Loire Valley, more about salted orchard fruit and chalky grip than overt sweetness or perfume. The warm, ripe 2022 season shows in its generosity, with the acidity still holding the wine straight.

Quince, ripe pear and yellow apple come first, then chamomile, beeswax and a squeeze of lemon peel. Time in the glass draws out something faintly smoky and mineral, the sort of savoury edge that keeps Chinon whites interesting well past the first mouthful.

Full malolactic and a touch of lees work have softened the wine's edges, so the palate arrives broad and creamy before the Chenin acidity draws everything back into line. The estate's clay and tuffeau limestone soils leave a chalky, almost saline finish that lingers longer than the fruit does.

Pair it with roast chicken, pork belly with apple, river fish such as pike or perch, or a plate of aged goat's cheese. It also handles cream sauces and mild spice better than most dry whites at this weight.

Drinking well now with a decent decant or a large glass, and the structure to develop honeyed, waxy complexity through to around 2030. Serve it lightly chilled rather than cold — too much refrigeration flattens the texture that makes this wine worth opening.