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2019 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
Bernard BaudryWith a glance at the dark purple color—the hue of a Kalamata olive—and a sniff of the nose heavy on dark ripe fruit and black tea, I get a little giddy. I can tell I’m going to enjoy this. The first taste knocks me off my feet. I need to be careful or my prose is going to be as purple as my teeth, because Le Clos Guillot is a powerhouse, an earthy, feral wine that throws sediment like it’s been aging for thirty years. Powerful and tannic, this vintage needs rich food now, or a few years in the cellar.
—Dustin Soiseth
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Chinon |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Bernard Baudry |
Winemaker: | Matthieu & Bernard Baudry |
Vineyard: | 15 years, 4 ha |
Soil: | Sand, Limestone |
Aging: | Aged for twelve months in barrel; not fined or filtered |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 14% |
More from this Producer or Region
2021 Chinon “Les Grézeaux”
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A textbook Chinon like this merits simple, rustic cuisine such as roast game, baked potatoes, and sautéed porcini mushrooms.
2021 Chinon
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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.
2022 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”
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Brambly berries and lifted floral notes combine with an earthy coolness and touch of spice in this red whose low alcohol level makes it even easier to fervently slurp down.
2021 Sancerre “Cuvée Marcel Henri”
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Welcome to depth, complexity, understatement, finesse.
2022 Chinon Rosé
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Matthieu Baudry captures both youthful fruit and energizing mineral textures with this rosé.
2020 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
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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.
2022 Chinon Blanc
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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.
2022 Chinon “Les Granges”
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Put a slight chill on it, pop the cork, and inhale its lively perfume: the floral fragrance and bright, juicy fruit—picture fresh-squeezed berries—are simply irresistible.
2020 Chinon “La Croix Boissée”
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This is the grandest bottling of Cabernet Franc from one of Chinon’s most outstanding producers.
2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
France | Loire
Thierry’s Saumur Blancs are bone-dry, high-acid, mineral Chenin Blancs that drink like Chablis young and take on weight slowly over time.
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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2022 Pouilly-Fumé “Vieilles Vignes”
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2021 Sancerre “Cuvée Marcel Henri”
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2022 Vin de France Brut Nature “Elle est pas bulle, la vie?”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2018 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Racines”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Coteaux du Loir Blanc
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2019 Bourgueil “Les Perrières”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
2019 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2023 Cheverny
Domaine du Salvard France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Rosé “Le Colombier”
Domaine Roger Neveu France | Loire
2022 Vouvray “Les Fondraux”
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
A good doctor prescribed the wine of Nuits-Saint-Georges to the Sun King, Louis XIV, when he suffered an unknown maladie. When the king’s health was restored the tasty remedy enjoyed a vogue at court. Lord, send me a doctor like that!
Inspiring Thirst, page 117