Wine of the Day, No. 893

A lovely sauvignon blanc and chardonnay blend.

The Cheverny appellation lies across the Loire River and about 17 km southeast of the city of Blois, home to the French kings during the Renaissance. Another approximately 17 km drive to the north-northeast from Cheverny takes you to the magnificent chateau of Chambord, built as a hunting lodge between 1519 and 1547 for Francis I. The much smaller and more modest, though still impressive, chateau of Cheverny is well-worth visiting; it’s famous for its dog kennels and startling collection of stags’ antlers. One can easily “do” Cheverny in the morning and Chambord in the afternoon, as I have done.

As a wine region, Cheverny AOC produces white, red and rosé wines. The whites — our concern today — are typically a blend of 60 to 80 percent sauvignon blanc with the balance made up of chardonnay. The blend of today’s Wine of the Day is 80 percent sauvignon blanc and 20 percent chardonnay, made from sustainably farmed vineyards, fermented by native yeasts and fashioned in stainless steel. The Daridan family is now in its seventh generation overseeing their 15 hectares (38 acres) of vines and making the wines.

The Benoit Daridan “L’Intemporal” 2023, Cheverny, Loire Valley, displays a pale straw-gold hue and enticing aromas of jasmine, peach and spiced pear, with back notes of quince, freshly mown grass and gunflint; the wine scintillates with bright acidity and fresh, juicy stone fruit flavors, while the structure of slightly dusty limestone minerality keeps the texture spare and elegant; the finish brings in touches of lemon, toasted almond and subtle meadowy floral and herbal effects. 12.5% alcohol. A real treat. Try through 2027 with goat cheese, trout amandine, cod poached in wine and tomatoes, avocado toast. Excellent. About $23.

A local purchase. “L’Intemporal” means timeless or eternal.

Imported by USA Wine West, Sausalito, Calif.