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2015 Chinon “Les Grézeaux”
Bernard BaudryDomaine Baudry is an essential stop on any person’s journey to discover the fine wines of the Loire. Not only are Bernard Baudry and his son, Matthieu, traditionalists in their vineyards and cellar, always seeking to bottle authentic representations of Chinon’s varied terroirs, but they have proven over many vintages they can expertly craft wines of purity, grace, and genuine regional character. This cuvée features old Cabernet Franc vines in the lieu-dit Les Grézeaux, a gravelly parcel over clay-silica subsoil. It consistently shows concentration and dense structure, all while remaining smooth and accessible—traits heightened by the excellent 2015 vintage, which gave deep, full-bodied wines enveloped with delicious, ripe fruit. Les Grézeaux also has delightful earthy nuances like herbal and peppery notes, which tend to gain prominence with age, as additional complexities emerge over five, ten, or fifteen years in bottle. A textbook Chinon like this merits simple, rustic cuisine such as roast game, baked potatoes, and sautéed porcini mushrooms.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2015 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Chinon |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Bernard Baudry |
Winemaker: | Matthieu & Bernard Baudry |
Vineyard: | 65 years, 3 ha |
Soil: | Gravel |
Aging: | Aged for twelve months in barrel and are not fined or filtered |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
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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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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.