Made from Stories
Domaine Charles Joguet
by Dustin Soiseth
Take 20% OFF wines in the collection below with code JOGUET20!
Click to apply this promo code to your order
Click to apply: JOGUET20 Valid through Monday, August 31stPromo code terms
The story of Charles Joguet is one of the first Kermit tells in Adventures on the Wine Route. The tale is a vivid part of KLWM lore, conjuring scenes of bottle after bottle of old Chinon, but it’s also just the opening chapters of a story that continues to be written. Nearly thirty years ago, to pursue his career as an artist, Charles sold the domaine to his longtime partners, the Genet family, and the current vigneron, Kevin Fontaine, now has almost twenty vintages under his belt. Though their part in the domaine’s his- tory may lack the dramatic flair of Charles—I’m pretty sure everyone still has all their fingers—it is marked by a pursuit of quality along with steadfast stewardship of the domaine’s legendary vineyards. If you’ve enjoyed a bottle of Joguet Chinon in the past twenty years, you’re part of this story, too.
One of Kevin’s first projects when he joined the domaine was to introduce organic viticulture. Since longtime workers were skeptical of the new methods, Kevin assigned them to work the same rows of vines season after season. Each row in the vineyard has a tag identifying the worker who, like a parent, tends their own vines and witnesses the benefits of organic farming. The Genets are so committed to nurturing and protecting their vineyards that they have been buying up surrounding land to provide both a habitat for wildlife and a protective buffer against contamination from the conventional farming practices of some of their neighbors.
With his focus squarely on the vineyards, Kevin keeps things simple in the cellar. His priority is clean, vibrant fruit and wines that are unmistakably Chinon—from joyful, refreshing vins de table to noble single-vineyard wines that are among the best in the appellation.
In this sense, the Joguet story remains unchanged, since Charles was among the first growers in Chinon to bottle single-vineyard wines. The recent arrivals from the domaine featured here show the breadth of their selections, including their iconic rosé and entry-level red as well as four single-vineyard wines, each a continuation of a story that began with Kermit and Charles in a cold cellar fifty years ago.
Made from Stories
Domaine Charles Joguet
by Dustin Soiseth
Take 20% OFF wines in the collection below with code JOGUET20!
Click to apply this promo code to your order
Click to apply: JOGUET20 Valid through Monday, August 31stPromo code terms
Wines In The Collection
Charles Joguet France | Loire
The perfect combination of tart red fruit, herbaceousness, and graphite earthiness.
Charles Joguet France | Loire
Cabernet Franc makes a great rosé because its characteristic herbal verve offers a brisk counterpoint to its red berry fruit, creating a most thirst-quenching equilibrium.
Charles Joguet France | Loire
Chinons from Joguet are known for their firm minerality, but this one is quite charming as well, with plummy black fruit and notes of licorice.
Charles Joguet France | Loire
Showing off Cabernet in its most delicate, charming form, rife with aromas of roses, damp earth, and little red berries.
Charles Joguet France | Loire
The singularity and beauty of Chenin Blanc really shines with a bit of age, which is what makes this wine so special to enjoy now.
Charles Joguet France | Loire
With floral aromas and fine-grained tannins, it already showcases its charms.
Charles Joguet France | Loire
With floral aromas and fine-grained tannins, it already showcases its charms.
France | Loire
The perfect combination of tart red fruit, herbaceousness, and graphite earthiness.
France | Loire
Cabernet Franc makes a great rosé because its characteristic herbal verve offers a brisk counterpoint to its red berry fruit, creating a most thirst-quenching equilibrium.
France | Loire
Chinons from Joguet are known for their firm minerality, but this one is quite charming as well, with plummy black fruit and notes of licorice.
France | Loire
Age-worthy red from one of Chinon’s top sites, by a storied domaine.
France | Loire
Showing off Cabernet in its most delicate, charming form, rife with aromas of roses, damp earth, and little red berries.
France | Loire
The singularity and beauty of Chenin Blanc really shines with a bit of age, which is what makes this wine so special to enjoy now.
France | Loire
With floral aromas and fine-grained tannins, it already showcases its charms.
France | Loire
With floral aromas and fine-grained tannins, it already showcases its charms.
More Collections
Wine for a Warm Summer Night in Bologna (or Berkeley)
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As a college student, I once spent a warm evening sitting on the cobblestones of Bologna’s Piazza Verdi, in a circle of friends, surrounded by clusters of the city’s electric youth. Most were lost in animated, intense, and jovial conversations. Some had stood up and started to dance to a spontaneous, unpolished brass-and-percussion ensemble. My friends and I talked and observed, nursing our Negronis from the nearby bar. I didn’t know about Lambrusco back then…
Crack It Open
Most of the bottles we import feature a cork, but every so often, we’ll find a demijohn, keg, wine box, or screw cap bottle peeking out of a corner in a cellar in France and Italy. After all, some situations call for a cork-less delivery system…
Terroir to Boast About
When I asked the Laboucarié family recently if the golden accents on their labels are a nod to their sliver of Corbières known as the Golden Crescent, I was surprised to hear that artistic choice was a total coincidence. After all, this area is prime land in Corbières…
Cool Beaujolais with Tomato Tart
It’s officially tomato season on the East Coast. Last Sunday morning I bee-lined it to the produce stand at my farmer’s market that sells Jersey-grown tomatoes where, not surprisingly, a line was already forming. Every year they have the best selection of plump and colorful heirloom varieties: orangey-red Beefsteaks, golden Persimmons, and rosy Brandywines…
Passing the Torch at Mas Champart
If you have never tried the wines of Mas Champart, or haven’t tasted them in a while, now is a great time to tune back in to the story of one of the south’s great domaines. We are excited to watch Noémie carry the Mas Champart baton...
New Rosé Arrivals
The last few weeks have seen the first wave of 2025 rosés arrive at our shores. We don’t play favorites, but a few undisputable knock-outs are finally here...
New Arrivals
Here is a collection of recent arrivals. Every week, we’ll be adding a dozen or more new arrivals, so check back often for your favorite classics or new discoveries!
The Carpe Vinum Collection
An ever-changing offering of wines that are just about to sell out; one last opportunity to seize a range of selections before they disappear from our shelves forever.
50th Anniversary Merchandise
When the esteemed French wine artist Michel Tolmer created beautiful artwork for our 50th anniversary, we knew right away that we had to feature it on a few select items of merch. After spending maybe a little too much time researching the options, we landed on a classy, leather-strap cap, a comfortable t-shirt made from 100% cotton, and a tote made with incredibly sturdy, fair-trade, and organic cotton by a certified B corp that invests in the livelihoods of women and farmers of India, featuring three wine sleeves and two other compartments for all of your other needs!
Recent Wine Club Selections
Our five wine clubs feature our best values from France and Italy as well as complex and cellar-worthy wines.