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2018 Chinon Blanc “La Croix Boissée”
Bernard BaudryA mere three percent of vineyard land in the Chinon appellation is dedicated to Chenin Blanc, the star cépage in the rare, precious Chinon blanc. As it turns out, Chenin is just as well adapted to Chinon’s great tuffeau sites as is Cabernet Franc, the AOC’s dominant grape. These white limestone soils yield the most profound and structured wines in both colors, and Baudry’s Croix Boissée is among the very finest. The broad-shouldered and intensely chalky 2018 will benefit from a good decanting or, better yet, a long slumber in a cool place.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Chinon |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Bernard Baudry |
Vineyard: | .5 ha, Planted between 1994 and 2004 |
Soil: | Clay, Sand, White Limestone |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
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2021 Chinon
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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.
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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2018 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc
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2020 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Clisson “La Molette”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2019 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
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2020 Chinon “Les Petites Roches”
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2020 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
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2022 Saumur Champigny “Cuvée Domaine”
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2018 Chinon Blanc “Clos de la Plante Martin”
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2021 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
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2021 Sancerre Rouge
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2022 Jasnières “Cuvée Sainte Narcisse”
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2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
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Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch