One of our favorite stops in the Loire Valley is to the domaine of Patrick Baudouin, a man who seems conjured from the pages of J.R.R. Tolkien—an aspiring wizard, perhaps, or a sage of the vine. His opinions on the wine world are as unfiltered as his wines, shaped by decades of unwavering commitment to organic viticulture, natural winemaking, and unchaptalized sweet wines, though he concedes to the use of sulfites.

Though certified organic, Patrick’s vineyards transcend the limitations of certification itself. As quick and purposeful as his driving, in his vineyards he’s a force of nature, sweeping through the rows, attuned to their rhythm, looking to the sky for the answers, tasting grapes with the precision of someone searching not just for ripeness but for a perfect harmony.

His Chenin Blancs, in their myriad forms, can be revelatory. Layer upon layer unfolds: aromas of dried herbs and wild grasses, a faint buzz of acacia honey. Subtle Middle Eastern spices and stone fruits, in hues of gold and orange, weave to form ethereal melodies, light and lifting. In an age where dry Chenin Blanc can often be tense and wiry, a show of force humming with electrical currents, Baudouin’s have silky acidity that purr while you drink them, reminding us that beauty still speaks in whispers.

Patrick Baudouin’s 13.5 hectares are northwestern France’s Anjou, Coteaux du Layon and Savennières appellations, rooted in the terroirs of the Anjou Noir. Here, the dark, ancient Pangea-age rocks of the Massif Armoricain tell a tall tale: once towering as high as the Alps, the Variscan (Hercynian) mountain range has, over 400 million years, been worn down to rolling hills of ancient volcanic and metamorphic rock once deep under the earth, now with Avaloirs in Mayenne, it’s highest peak rising to a mere 417 meters. A ridge to the southwest offers Anjou and the neighboring Anjou Blanc, Saumur, shelters from the region’s persistent rains, leaving them among the driest in the Loire River Valley. Yet between the Layon and Loire rivers, humidity endures, inviting the noble rot that defines this region’s most historic wines, the sweet, botrytised Loire Valley Chenin Blancs which find their fullest expression here.