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2018 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles JoguetClos du Chêne Vert
Charles Joguet, our artist/vintner from Chinon, survives from one year to the next, always on the verge of bankruptcy. Years ago he was swindled by the company that constructed a set of fermentation vats. While he was figuring out how to fight the wolf at the door, along came a friend who showed him a piece of property for sale.
“I had heard of the place,” Charles told me recently. “It was called Le Chêne Vert, or The Green Oak, named after an 800-year-old oak there, which was cut down about 400 years ago. So I went to look it over. I remember that afternoon, there was a splendid sunset illuminating the old city of Chinon. I knew that Le Chêne Vert was one of the two parcels originally planted at Chinon by the monks in the eleventh century. They introduced the Cabernet Franc here, and they knew what they were doing because Le Chêne Vert is certainly the most extraordinary site for the vine at Chinon.
“I saw the ancient cellar, the soil, the vines, but half the property was grown over wild, the other half in untended old vines. What a job, I thought, to put it back into shape, because the terrain is steep and rocky, very difficult to work. None of the other winegrowers were interested in it.
“It was to be auctioned off. It is an old custom here, une vente à la bougie; a candle burns on a piece of wood, and when it goes out the auction is over. It takes two or three minutes.
“I was curious to see what the land would go for, so I went to the auction. The only serious bidder wanted it as pasture for his sheep! No one thought I would buy it, especially me. At the last moment I opened my mouth and voilà, the candle went out. I said to myself, ‘Zut, where will I find the money?’ It was cheap, but when you are broke nothing is cheap.”
Now, several years later, Charles says his gamble paid off and Le Chêne Vert will produce his finest Chinon. Start a collection of vintages with this fabulous 1985. It has a dense, complex nose, lots of flavor and character. There is no other wine like it.
** This passage comes from our June 1987 newsletter. **
—Kermit Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Chinon |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Charles Joguet |
Winemaker: | Kevin Fontaine |
Vineyard: | Vines 30 years old |
Soil: | Siliceous chalk & clay |
Aging: | Prolonged aging in 1-3 year-old barrels for 18 months |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14.2% |
More from this Producer or Region
2019 Chinon “Clos de la Dioterie”
France | Loire
Age-worthy red from one of Chinon’s top sites, by a storied domaine.
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
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This blanc is chiseled and electric and boasts notes of citrus, herbs, and stones that would beautifully complement pan-fried sea bass or shrimp tacos.
2019 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
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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.
2022 Chinon Rosé
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One of the first rosés Kermit imported, this wine has been consistently delicious for four decades.
2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
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Given light treatment in the cellar, this wine shows off Cabernet in its most delicate, charming form.
2020 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
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The perfect combination of tart red fruit, herbaceousness, and graphite earthiness.
2018 Chinon Blanc “Clos de la Plante Martin”
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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.
2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
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The perfect combination of tart red fruit, herbaceousness, and graphite earthiness.
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.
2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
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With floral aromas and fine-grained tannins, it already showcases its charms.
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.
More from Loire or France
2020 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
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2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Chinon “La Croix Boissée”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Val de Loire Blanc “Cirrus”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2021 Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil “Irène”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
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2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
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2022 Chinon Blanc
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Clairet “Avis de Vin Fort”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Chinon “La Croix Boissée”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Val de Loire Blanc “Cirrus”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2021 Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil “Irène”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Chinon Blanc
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. 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.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171