1967 Baumard Quarts de Chaume (re-corked), Loire Valley

 (re-corked)

Florent Baumard is one of the world’s best winemakers, and you probably don’t know him. That’s because he produces Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley, an all-too-often overlooked region. Baumard produces a range of dry and sweet wines, topped by his Quarts de Chaume. And perhaps the best part of Baumard’s new wines is that they are now all under screw cap. Bravo to Florent Baumard for making this decision based on quality, not marketing.

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, March 2007

 ...there is no doubt in my mind that the Quarts de Chaume from Domaine des Baumard remains, in many vintages, one of the finest examples of the appellation.
 
The Wine Doctor

1967 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume from the Loire Valley is a truly remarkable example of one of France’s greatest sweet wine appellations, offering both history and enduring beauty in the glass. Produced by the Baumard family, long considered masters of Chenin Blanc, this wine represents the golden age of Quarts de Chaume — a period when meticulous hand-harvesting and traditional cellar practices created wines of breathtaking balance, longevity and finesse.

The vineyards of Quarts de Chaume, nestled along the Layon River in Anjou, sit on steep, south-facing schist slopes that capture warmth and encourage the development of Botrytis cinerea (noble rot). This natural phenomenon concentrates the sugars, flavours and acids in the grapes, yielding a Chenin Blanc of remarkable complexity. The 1967 vintage was a classic Loire botrytis year: a long, dry autumn allowed perfect raisining of the fruit, producing wines of extraordinary purity and structure. Baumard’s approach was minimal intervention — slow fermentation in neutral barrels and long maturation to integrate richness with minerality.

Even today, the 1967 vintage shines with vitality. In the glass it shows deep amber gold with luminous clarity. The aroma is captivating, offering honey, dried apricot, candied citrus, quince paste and saffron, alongside subtle notes of caramelised nuts, lanolin and beeswax. The palate is luxurious yet balanced, its sweetness perfectly countered by a spine of vivid acidity. Layers of baked apple, marmalade, almond and spice unfold across an endlessly complex, silky finish.

This wine pairs beautifully with foie gras, Roquefort, apple tart or tarte Tatin, but it is equally enchanting on its own as a meditative after-dinner wine. After nearly six decades, it remains alive and vibrant, proof of Chenin Blanc’s legendary capacity to age gracefully. Properly cellared bottles will continue to hold for decades more, evolving toward deeper nutty, toffee and truffle-like complexity.