Bernard Baudry - Chinon Les Grézeaux 2023

Mathieu Baudry has truly come to appreciate this exemplary estate in Cravant, which also cultivates the black truffle (Melanosporum). His father, Bernard, continues to lend his support both in the vineyard and in the cellar. They have built their reputation on Cabernet Franc wines with aging potential—vibrant, dense, and long-finishing—at an estate that includes 30 hectares farmed organically. The wines are named after the terroirs from which they come, and their prices remain affordable. Les-Granges blends grapes from gravelly and clay soils to produce a supple, fresh wine, while Les-Grézeaux, grown on siliceous clay, offers beautiful finesse and a structure that allows the wine to age well. With greater depth, La-Croix-Boissée offers a wine with a tannic core derived from the clay-limestone soils. The vines of Clos Guillot produce a full-bodied, smooth, and rich wine, ideal for long-term aging. A superb estate that has produced an excellent 2019 vintage.

In 2023, on the gravelly soils, Les Grézeaux reveals a certain floral character: a Cabernet Franc that expresses itself with great spontaneity.

Bernard Baudry seeks to bring out the silky, refined character of Chinon wines while remaining as true as possible to their terroir. This approach, which he pursues alongside his son Matthieu, is complemented by organic certification and has inspired them to plant ungrafted, rootstock-free vines for the past 10 years (following Charles Joguet’s plantings in the 1980s), as well as to establish vineyards on forgotten terroirs, such as the excellent Clos Guillot. La Croix Boissée (a clay-limestone terroir in Cravant-les-Coteaux), built for aging, possesses an extra touch of velvety smoothness and, at times, sweetness in hot vintages, which could delight Saint-Émilion enthusiasts. This cuvée naturally stands out among Touraine’s great reds; be mindful, however, of the animal notes found in certain vintages.

Les Grézeaux 2023 offers pure, fresh fruit aromas, with a lively, mouth-watering acidity. It is made from grapes grown on gravelly sandy soils located directly across from the winery. The mid-palate is distinctly full-bodied, though it does not quite reach medium body. This wine was aged in concrete tanks rather than oak barrels and offers youthful, fruity notes of blackberry and raspberry. It has a savory smoky touch that may come from the gravel or a slight reduction. The 2023 can be enjoyed within the first six to nine years of its life.