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2016 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
Charles JoguetDeep, dark herbal aromas announce a muscular palate, boldly delivering a delightful burst of red fruit along with tannic structure. Did I say Petites Roches had a long finish? Well, this one goes on for days. Try it with farm-fresh beef and olive sauté.
—Emily Spillmann
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2016 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Chinon |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Charles Joguet |
Winemaker: | Kevin Fontaine |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1962 to 1976, 4.61 ha |
Soil: | Siliceous chalk & clay |
Aging: | Wine ages in oak fûts for 15-16 months, depending on the vintage, after racking, the finished wine rests assembled in cuve for two months before bottling |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
France | Loire
With floral aromas and fine-grained tannins, it already showcases its charms.
2022 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” Blanc
France | Loire
A delightfully lean and bright blanc from Charles Joguet that leaves me yearning to exclaim, “This smells like a green apple picked fresh from a lemon tree!”
2022 Chinon Rosé
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One of the first rosés Kermit imported, this wine has been consistently delicious for four decades.
2020 Chinon “Les Petites Roches”
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Showing off Cabernet in its most delicate, charming form, rife with aromas of roses, damp earth, and little red berries.
2022 Chinon Blanc
France | Loire
A rare Chenin Blanc from the land of Cabernet Franc. Ultra fresh and brimming with citrus blossom and orchard fruit notes, it has a saline, mineral finish that leaves my palate simultaneously satisfied and begging for more. Try it with fresh trout, grilled whole topped with chimichurri or smoked and tossed into a Niçoise salad.
2019 Chinon “Clos de la Dioterie”
France | Loire
Age-worthy red from one of Chinon’s top sites, by a storied domaine.
2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
France | Loire
Given light treatment in the cellar, this wine shows off Cabernet in its most delicate, charming form.
2019 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
France | Loire
Chinons from Joguet are known for their firm minerality, but this one is quite charming as well, with plummy black fruit, myrtle, and notes of warm licorice.
2020 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
France | Loire
January Adventures ~ The perfect combination of tart red fruit, herbaceousness, and graphite earthiness.
2017 Chinon Blanc “Clos de la Plante Martin”
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.
About The Producer
Charles Joguet
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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Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
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Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
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Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2021 Bourgeuil “Cuvée Beauvais”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2022 Saumur Champigny “La Foulée”
Domaine des Roches Neuves France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Le Portail”
Champalou France | Loire
2021 Val de Loire Blanc “Cirrus”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Blanche
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2020 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.