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2019 Chinon “Les Grézeaux”
Bernard BaudryFrom where I write, the early autumn breeze is just starting to hint of dried leaves, and the evening light has taken on that copper glow so familiar to fall. Finally! The beginning of the end of this strange year! While I hum Eva Cassidy’s haunting interpretation of “Les Feuilles Mortes,” I am reminded not only of fall’s melancholy tone, but also of a certain depth and richness to the changing of seasons. The comfort of settling in for the winter—that’s the feeling I get the minute I put my nose in a glass of Baudry’s Chinon Grézeaux. The very name suggests its gravelly terroir and earthy structure: a natural choice for this time of year. It has a meaty quality that calls for hearty, cool-weather fare in ample proportions. Thanksgiving dinner, for example.
—Emily Spillmann
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: | 65 years, 3 ha |
Soil: | Gravel |
Aging: | Aged for twelve months in barrel and are not fined or filtered |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
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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.
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This downright Burgundian wine shows off the savory spine and weightless concentration imparted by this particular site.
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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.
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This is the grandest bottling of Cabernet Franc from one of Chinon’s most outstanding producers.
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 Rosé
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Matthieu Baudry captures both youthful fruit and energizing mineral textures with this rosé.
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.
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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2020 Bourgueil “Nuits d’Ivresse”
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2021 Sancerre “Racines”
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2022 Chinon Rosé
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2018 Chinon Blanc “Clos de la Plante Martin”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
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2022 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
Touraine “Fines Bulles”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Cuvée Marcel Henri”
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Our wine tastes the same in your home as it did where it was bottled in Europe.
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