Argile is Hureau’s Chenin Blanc from chalky tuffeau soils, and chalk is the whole story here: it gives the wine its taut, mineral spine. Chateau du Hureau is among the top names in Saumur, run by fifth-generation vigneron Philippe Vatan and his daughter Agathe, farming parcels around Dampierre-sur-Loire and Champigny. Argile is blended from a handful of parcels, fermented in tank and aged in a mix of tank and large wood. A serious, dry Loire white. The 2024 is fresh and energetic young, with room to develop.