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2021 Chinon “La Croix Boissée”
Bernard Baudry
Despite it being a challenging growing season, I’ve heard more than one vigneron from Chinon express a particular fondness for their 2021s, and when you taste an exceptional one like Baudry’s La Croix Boissée, it’s easy to see why. The nose takes a minute to open up, but when it does, the wine unfurls with plush, dark fruit and high-toned blood orange notes, autumnal woodsiness, and sleek tannins. It’s a classic Cabernet Franc with verve and a sense of place, built for the cellar. Vintages like 2021 serve as monuments to the wines that have defined Chinon for generations, like time capsules, giving pleasure to vignerons and wine drinkers alike.
—Dustin Soiseth
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: | 5-15 years, 2.5 ha |
Soil: | Clay, sand, white limestone |
Aging: | Aged 24 months in 1 to 3 years old barrels |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

2023 Chinon “Les Grézeaux”
France | Loire
Les Grézeaux comes from the Baudry’s oldest vines, which yield a concentrated and silky rouge that is ready to drink today but will age beautifully.

2022 Chinon “Le Domaine”
France | Loire
It is fresh and buoyant enough for casual fare yet has the stuffing to accompany heartier dishes, while its vivid raspberry fruit makes it extremely approachable today, notwithstanding its medium-term aging potential.

2024 Chinon Rosé
France | Loire
Matthieu Baudry captures both youthful fruit and energizing mineral textures with this rosé.

2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
France | Loire
Unique in its combination of honeyed richness and flinty verve. Hard to resist on its own, but you might also try serving it with salty-sweet yakitori or buffalo chicken wings.

2022 Chinon Blanc
France | Loire
August Club Gourmand ~ Ultra fresh and brimming with citrus blossom and orchard fruit notes, it has a saline, mineral finish that leaves my palate begging for more.

2022 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
France | Loire
The perfect combination of tart red fruit, herbaceousness, and graphite earthiness.

2024 Pouilly-Fumé “Vieilles Vignes”
France | Loire
Sauvignon Blanc has many incarnations throughout the world, but even in the Loire Valley—the grape’s spiritual home—Pouilly Fumé represents a very distinctive example.

2024 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
France | Loire
Made from nearly hundred-year-old vines, this a great initiation into the world of Thierry’s white wines.

2021 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
France | Loire
Even though all of the wines hail from Chinon, the soil, elevation, and exposition all combine to make Le Clos Guillot their cuvée with the most finesse.

2024 Bourgueil “Cuvée Alouettes”
France | Loire
Alouettes harkens to a different era: it’s pleasantly tannic and chalky, with sleek notes of licorice, cranberry, and prickly black pepper.
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.
More from Loire or France
2023 Reuilly Pinot Noir
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2023 Chinon “Beaux Monts”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2016 Jasnières “Chant de Vigne”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2024 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2020 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2023 Reuilly Pinot Noir
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “Clos Sénéchal”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2023 Chinon “Beaux Monts”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2016 Jasnières “Chant de Vigne”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2024 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2020 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236