02 Foreau, Vouvray Sec Domaine du Clos Naudin

This is great chenin blanc. I don't know if that's a modifier that can fairly be applied to this varietal. Sure, "good," "mouth-watering," "satisfying," "impressive" -- all these adjectives work just fine and I've used them before. But great? Is it a grape, at least when fermented dry, that can produce truly great wine? This is one of the few lean whites that has several layers of flavor. Ripe, acidic, solid nose of fruit and white flowers. Sharp palate of lime, grapefruit, and sweeter secondary flavors of pear and unripe tropical fruit. There's a striking wholeness to this wine. It balances bone dryness and lime-sucking acid with a surprising initial fullness of body reminiscent of young, oaky chardonnay. Steely, yet also buttery. Thinning after a long, but finally abrupt finish. Textured. Nuanced. Reminiscent of great Oregon pinot gris. But more. Always more. Always more.