Wine-savvy Vancouverites will remember Kenji Hodgson as half of Kenji & James, founders of HALF A GLASS and wine columnists at The Province (James Nevison handles the column solo now). Kenji and his partner Mai followed their love of wine to the Loire in France, settling in the village of Rablay-sur-Layon and making small lots of kick-ass, sustainably grown natural wines.

Faia is chenin blanc from shale soils, whole cluster pressed and then transferred directly to barrel for a slow, long (6-8 months) fermentation, on lees. Crystalline acidity hallmarks this linear, lean white, lingering with a pinpricking minerality long after the last sip. Tight green apple, white honey, delicate white florals, savoury broken stone, mandarin pith and bitter herbs glide on the palate’s lightly leesy chenin sheen through to the lengthy finish, where a textured riff of green apple skin and minerality carries this out. Authentic, textural, savoury, characterful. Bravo!

Mai and Kenji Hodgson | Faia Vin Blanc 2014 | Anjou, Loire Valley | $37