Marie-Lise & Thomas Batardiere are not household names. How could they be? Thomas only farms 3.5 hectares of vines in total! That doesn’t leave much wine to ship to magazines and critics to ask for reviews. 

And they don’t need to. Because while they are resolutely under-the-radar, they are also one of the most whispered about producers in the Loire. Neighbors of Richard Leroy (whose wines have become near-impossible to source in any volume) they take a similarly non-interventionist approach. They farm biodynamically, use very little or no sulfur (this cuvee has none), and make wines of absolute purity. 

The Chenin Blanc, “L'Esprit Libre” (French for “Free Spirit”) comes from three parcels of old vines (up 90-year-old, with some replanted 15 years ago) on plateaus of red sand and quartz gravel over schist. This is classic Anjoy terroir and the wines have both the pure focused Chenin Blanc fruit (apple, salted lemon, white flowers) and the schisty minerality. 

Marie-Lise & Thomas Batardiere Chenin Blanc L'Esprit Libre 2023
Fresh, lip-smacking Loire goodness with a hint of salt or iodine terroir, you could lay this down for a few years and it will, no doubt, evolve beautifully. But why? It’s so good now and, if you fall in love soon, you still have time to let us know and grab one of his more ambitious cuvees!

Marie-Lise & Thomas Batardiere Chenin Blanc L'Esprit Libre 2023 - $38.99

Marie-Lise & Thomas Batardiere Chenin Blanc Les Cocus 2023 - $48.99