Jasnieres lies on the northern rim of the Loire Valley, 40 km north of Tours along a small tributary of the Loire called - hilariously - the Loir. At Domaine de Belliviere, Eric and Clement Nicholas take the slow road in their vineyards and cellar to craft Chenin Blanc into a fantastically rich, deeply carved and complex wine. This wine is a gorgeous example of the balanced approach, with just a touch of residual sugar (the wine is labelled 'Sec Tendre') that helps to brace your palate against the dense packed acidity. Rich orchard fruit notes spill out on the nose, on the palate, and seem to creep out between the cracks of flinty minerality that comes from the soil in the vineyards. Just like a perfectly balanced Mosel Riesling or a Vouvray, this wine has that incredible sense of tension and finesse that brings out the best in Chenin Blanc.