Thibaud Boudignon, originally from Bordeaux, developed his passion for viticulture during childhood holidays in his grandfather’s vineyards and went on to work at top estates such as Lafite-Rothschild, Canon-la-Gaffelière, and Château Olivier, as well as gaining international experience in Australia’s Yarra Valley and Burgundy’s Gevrey-Chambertin. In 2007, he became winemaker at Château Soucherie in the Loire Valley, where he deepened his connection to the region before starting his own project in 2009. Using inheritance from his mother, he acquired small parcels in Anjou and Savennières, focusing on producing dry Chenin Blanc of exceptional precision and purity. Thibaud farms organically, spending much of his time in the vineyards to ensure the health of his vines and the quality of his fruit. Today, from his estate near Savennières, he crafts a small, thrilling range of wines that rank among the world’s most exciting expressions of Chenin Blanc. The Cuvée François(e) is Boudignon’s top Anjou, named in tribute to his grandfather (Francois) and mother (Francoise), made from the best lots of 35-year-old vines on shallow schist, rhyolite, and sandy soils. Fermented with indigenous yeast in mostly older oak (about 20% new), then aged in barrel and tank, it’s a powerful, precise wine with explosive fruit, a long, detailed finish, and great aging potential.