Agnes & Rene MOSSE Les Bonnes Blanches, Loire 2022
Agnès & René Mosse Les Bonnes Blanches 2022 is a powerful, finely etched old‑vine Chenin Blanc from Anjou, combining ripe, pure fruit with strong saline minerality and serious gastronomic depth. It is one of the domaine’s flagship dry whites, precise and muscular in 2022, with clear aging potential.
Site & Identity
Les Bonnes Blanches is a single, 2–2.5 ha parcel in the Coteaux du Layon / Anjou area, widely considered one of the top Chenin terroirs in the region. The vines are around 40+ years old and planted on shallow decomposed schist and quartz over schist bedrock, with characteristic rounded white stones that give the vineyard its name and a very deep root system. Farming is organic/biodynamic, and the wine is often intentionally declassified to Vin de France even though it could be labeled Anjou.
Technical Tasting Note
Appearance: Slightly hazy lemon to pale gold, with a natural, unfiltered aspect typical of the domaine’s style.
Nose: White peach, yellow apple, acacia blossom, citrus, quince and honeyed notes, with flinty, smoky mineral tones and a subtle spicy character.
Palate: Medium‑bodied but intense, with pure white‑fruit extract, fine linear acidity and a dense, chalky‑schist mineral spine; more precise and “muscular” than Rouchefer, with great tension and salinity balancing its ripe, concentrated core.
Finish: Long, dry and persistent, with lingering spice, saline/mineral notes and a very food‑friendly, mouth‑watering close; tiny residual sugar (often around 1–3 g/l) adds texture without perceptible sweetness.
Winemaking & Style
Les Bonnes Blanches 2022 is 100% Chenin Blanc, hand‑harvested at very low yields (around 12–20 hl/ha depending on source and frost impact). Grapes are directly pressed and fermented with indigenous yeasts, then aged about 10 months in large foudres or barrels, usually with minimal or only a small SO₂ addition at the end of fermentation, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. The style is that of a serious, dry, natural Chenin: pure, textural and mineral, with both power and finesse and clear capacity to evolve over many years.
Buying Outlook
This is a benchmark Anjou Chenin and an excellent buy for serious Loire and natural‑leaning white‑wine programs. Old vines, top terroir, low yields and organic/biodynamic farming underpin a wine that is both immediately impressive and clearly ageworthy, making it attractive for restaurant lists and private cellars.
Food Pairing
Les Bonnes Blanches 2022 is superb with “stinky” washed‑rind cheeses, roast white meats, braised dishes and anything in a white or cream sauce, as well as fried foods. Its tension and saline finish also make it a great match for complex crustacean dishes, rich shellfish, roast poultry and refined vegetable or mushroom cuisine.
