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2021 Chinon “Les Grézeaux”
Bernard Baudry
If you could pull back the topsoil of Chinon and view the land from above, you would get a beautiful mosaic of white, tan, and many shades of gold, taupe, gray, and brown. Few appellations in France have such a variegated terroir, made up of clay, yellow and white limestone, sand, and gravel. The Baudrys cultivate Cabernet Franc in all of these soil types and bottle several single-vineyard cuvées, ending up with an astonishing variety of expressions from this one grape. Les Grézeaux comes from their oldest vines—more than sixty years old—planted in gravelly alluvial soil near the Vienne River, which yield a simultaneously concentrated and silky rouge that is very much ready to drink today but will age beautifully over at least the next ten to fifteen years. With perfectly integrated tannins and notes of blackberries, forest floor, and stones, Les Grézeaux offers an ideal match for a lentil and mushroom shepherd’s pie or a simple roast chicken.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2021 |
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: | 12% |
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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 Kimmeridgian 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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2023 Saumur Mousseux “Bulles de Roche”
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2023 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
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2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2021 Vin de France Blanche
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2024 Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
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2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2024 Val de Loire Sauvignon Blanc “Unique”
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Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174