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2012 Chinon “Clos de la Dioterie”

Charles Joguet
Discount Eligible $52.00
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A firm believer in the potential of Chinon’s terroir, Charles Joguet began to harvest, vinify, and bottle his wines parcel by parcel soon after taking over the family domaine in 1957. Inspired by the Burgundian tradition of bottling each cru separately, he revolutionized the Chinon landscape with his single-vineyard cuvées in an era when all-encompassing blends were the norm.
    The change had the effect of highlighting each vineyard’s unique characteristics, without diluting the concentrated nectar bestowed by old vines. Furthermore, special sites began to stand out over time, with the chalky, northeast-facing Clos de la Dioterie quickly asserting itself as one of Chinon’s finest terroirs.
    Although Charles retired after a monumental forty-year career, his successor Kevin Fontaine continues to embrace the single-vineyard approach he pioneered. Today, the vines in Dioterie average eighty years old, yielding low quantities of deeply structured Cabernet Franc with the complexity and aging potential to rival many a prestigious Bordeaux. Like the grands crus of Burgundy, the pedigreed fruit of Dioterie is wholly capable of withstanding long maceration and extensive élevage in oak—techniques intending to show off the full brooding potential of this dignified terroir, in line with the values Charles espoused many years ago.
    The 2012 Dioterie is a dense, thick, profound Chinon with many years ahead of it. This is a wine for rainy nights, hearty stews, or a roaring fire—a soul-warming expression of one of Chinon’s top sites, crafted in the tradition of one of its legendary vignerons.  –Anthony Lynch

Technical Information
Wine Type: red
Vintage: 2012
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: Cabernet Franc
Appellation: Chinon
Country: France
Region: Loire
Producer: Charles Joguet
Winemaker: Kevin Fontaine
Vineyard: Planted in 1930 to 1940, 2.22 ha
Soil: White Limestone, Clay
Aging: Prolonged aging in 1-3 year-old barrels for 12-15 months
Farming: Organic
Alcohol: 12.5%

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About The Region

Loire

map of Loire

The defining feature of the Loire Valley, not surprisingly, is the Loire River. As the longest river in France, spanning more than 600 miles, this river connects seemingly disparate wine regions. Why else would Sancerre, with its Kimmeridgian limestone terroir be connected to Muscadet, an appellation that is 250 miles away?

Secondary in relevance to the historical, climatic, environmental, and cultural importance of the river are the wines and châteaux of the Jardin de la France. The kings and nobility of France built many hundreds of châteaux in the Loire but wine preceded the arrival of the noblesse and has since out-lived them as well.

Diversity abounds in the Loire. The aforementioned Kimmderidgian limestone of Sancerre is also found in Chablis. Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur boast the presence of tuffeau, a type of limestone unique to the Loire that has a yellowish tinge and a chalky texture. Savennières has schist, while Muscadet has volcanic, granite, and serpentinite based soils. In addition to geologic diversity, many, grape varieties are grown there too: Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne are most prevalent, but (to name a few) Pinot Gris, Grolleau, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Folle Blanche are also planted. These myriad of viticultural influences leads to the high quality production of every type of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert.

Like the Rhône and Provence, some of Kermit’s first imports came from the Loire, most notably the wines of Charles Joguet and Château d’Epiré—two producers who are featured in Kermit’s book Adventures on the Wine Route and with whom we still work today.

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Terroirs

Great winemakers, great terroirs, there is never any hurry. And I no longer buy into this idea of “peak” maturity. Great winemakers, great terroirs, their wines offer different pleasures at different ages.

Inspiring Thirst, page 312