2021 Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Domaine, Loire Valley

Organic. 100% Cabernet Franc. The lion’s share of this bottling is drawn from Baudry’s high-sited vines, which lie in Saint Louans on a plateau above Chinon’s première côte. The principal vineyard here is evocatively named Cimetière aux Chiens, which translates as ‘dog cemetery’ (probably a reference to the limestone that litters the soil here). To this fruit source, Baudry blends in roughly 20% from vines rooted in the gravelly soils of Cravant-les-Côteaux.

Fermented with wild yeasts in traditional cement vats, Le Domaine ages in both concrete and old casks for 15 months. The wine is bottled unfiltered, two springs after harvest. This is a considerably longer aging cycle than in the past. Baudry believes this drawn-out maturation brings more mineral limestone character to his wine, and it is now more seductive and approachable.
 
Crammed with Rabelaisian charm, this offers the meaty, earthy, ‘sauvage’ nose so typical of this wine, alongside a juicy, silky palate with flavours of roast meat, wet earth, creamy raspberry fruit and a floral lift. With its mouth-puckering tannins and food-friendly acidity, it’s a wine for the table—ideally with hearty, slow cooked meat dishes. It may not be for everyone, but it is the kind of wine that made the region famous—and it is deliciously unique. An old-school 12.2% completes the picture (so you can drink by the tankard). Eat, drink and be merry!