"A rich, smoky style, with coffee and dark olive notes up front, followed by dark currant, roasted apple wood and a long, smoldering, tobacco-filled finish. Drink now through 2014. 150 cases imported. " (WS)
"From their oldest (60-65 year) gravel-planted vines, and tasted from older barriques where it will remain until December, the Baudrys’ 2009 Chinon Les Grezeaux displays a firmer feel and more adamantly chalky underlying sense than the savory “Le Domaine” Chinon, cassis, blackberry and greenhouse-like mingling of leafy and flowering things in the nose leading to a somewhat somber, dark-berried, bitter herb-, iodine- and chalk-tinged palate. This is certainly backward although impressively concentrated and long. It should be fascinating to see how it gets into bottle and then to follow for at least 6-8 years.
For notes on Bernard and Matthieu Baudry’s outstanding latest whites, consult my parallel report on “Central Loire Chenin.” They took their time waiting for what they deemed the optimum moment for picking in 2009 – even if any moment would have been outstanding by long-term standards! – but then brought in their entire crop in six days." (WA)
Winery Notes:
Bernard Baudry is unquestionably one of Chinon’s most outstanding producers. Not only does he have the talent to make delicious and consistent wines, vintage to vintage, but he is also fortunate enough to have vineyard land that showcases many of the varied soil types of the appellation. After completing his studies at the viticultural school in Beaune, Bernard returned to the Loire Valley to consult in Tours. By 1975, he had purchased his first two hectares of land in Cravant-les-Coteaux, a village from which almost half of the production of A.O.C. Chinon is sourced. Over the years, the domaine has grown to twenty-five hectares. Bernard’s son, Mathieu, joined the family domaine in 2000 after studying winemaking in the Mâconnais and Bordeaux, with internships both in Tasmania and California!
The Baudrys work vineyards composed of gravel, sand, limestone, silica, and clay. The variations of terroir and vinification methods make each of their cuvées unique and distinct. Bernard and Mathieu focus the lion’s share of their production on Chinon Rouge, five fine cuvées of Cabernet Franc, all aged in old and new barrels in their incredible cellars chiseled out of tuffeau behind the winery. They make a surprising Chinon Blanc, a rarity to find let alone to import, as well as a stunning Chinon Rosé. The Baudrys are staunch traditionalists, and you would have a hard time finding a Chinon more classic than theirs. |
