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2023 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”
Bernard BaudryDomaine Bernard Baudry
Bernard Baudry, center, with his son Matthieu, right, and grandson Maxime
Vignerons can be sneaky people. Take Matthieu Baudry, who nonchalantly handed me a bottle—as if it were an afterthought—following an outstanding tasting at his family domaine near Chinon a few summers ago. He muttered something along the lines of “I do this on the side, for fun” as I stared at him inquisitively, the look on my face asking, Were you trying to hide this from me?!
The wine in question is a Grolleau produced from 14-year-old ungrafted—franc de pied— vines in a small sandy parcel on the banks of the Vienne, a tributary to the Loire that has carved out some of the finest terroirs in the great Chinon appellation. Once widely planted in its native Loire Valley, Grolleau can still be found in certain pockets, but requires the hand of a skilled vigneron to check its high-yielding nature. Matthieu ferments the Grolleau whole-cluster and ages it in tank, producing a juicy libation brimming with lively fruit marked by the silky, sensuous texture of an unfiltered bottling. 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.
While it does not carry the heft or nuance of Matthieu’s Chinon bottlings, this cuvée—served chilled, of course—has an irresistible, easygoing nature that makes it totally quaffable. He was able to spare twenty cases of his “afterthought,” and we are thrilled to carry it.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2023 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Grolleau |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Bernard Baudry |
Winemaker: | Matthieu Baudry |
Vineyard: | Vines 14 years old |
Soil: | Sand, yellow limestone |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 10% |
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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 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 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
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2021 Chinon Blanc “Les Charmes”
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2022 Jasnières “Dyane”
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2019 Vouvray “Le Portail”
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2022 Vin de France Brut Nature “Elle est pas bulle, la vie?”
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2018 Vouvray “La Moelleuse”
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2021 Vin de France Blanc “Chenin Centenaire”
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2022 Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé
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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