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2014 Chinon “La Croix Boissée”
Bernard BaudryBernard Baudry, now joined by his son Matthieu, is a master of terroir-driven winemaking in the Loire Valley. Cabernet Franc is the common denominator here, but the Baudry vineyards span a range of soil types—sand, gravel, clay, limestone, chalk—yielding fascinatingly diverse expressions of the same grape. La Croix Boissée is among the domaine’s deepest, most complex, and longest-aging reds: sourced from a south-facing slope of clay over white tuffeau limestone, this cuvée demonstrates the grandeur and finesse Cabernet Franc is capable of achieving in the right site. Aged for two years in oak and bottled unfiltered, this high-caliber red could humiliate many a Bordeaux sold for ten times the price. Its trademark is a rich aroma of ripe black fruits, a mouthwatering acidity, and dense, chalky tannins that provide a clean, pure, refreshing finish. An excellent cellar candidate if you have ten or twenty years to spare, this Chinon can also be enjoyed today with rustic, earthy cuisine.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2014 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Chinon |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Bernard Baudry |
Vineyard: | 2.5 ha, 5-15 years |
Soil: | Clay, sand, white limestone |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region
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A textbook Chinon like this merits simple, rustic cuisine such as roast game, baked potatoes, and sautéed porcini mushrooms.
About The Producer
Bernard Baudry
About The Region
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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2021 Quincy
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2022 Savennières
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2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
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2022 Chardonnay
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2022 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2018 Chinon Blanc “Clos de la Plante Martin”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Chinon Rosé
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Dyane”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
Vouvray Brut “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
2021 Quincy
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
Our Guarantee
Our Guarantee
We only import wine we drink and enjoy ourselves, directly from the source.
Our wine tastes the same in your home as it did where it was bottled in Europe.
Like the long-term relationships we build with growers, we build long-term relationships with our clients. Have a question? Need wine advice? Just give us a call—510-524-1524.