Bernard Baudry - Chinon Domaine 2011

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Mathieu Baudry has truly come to appreciate this exemplary estate in Cravant, which also cultivates black Melanosporum truffles. His father, Bernard, continues to lend his support both in the vineyard and in the cellar. They have built their reputation on age-worthy Cabernet Francs—vibrant, dense, and long-finishing—at an estate that includes 30 hectares farmed organically. The vintages are named after the terroirs that produce them, with prices that remain accessible. Les-Granges blends grapes from gravel and clay soils to produce a supple, fresh wine; Les-Grézeaux, grown on siliceous clay, offers beautiful finesse and a structure that allows the wine to age well. Deeper in character, 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, made for long-term aging. A superb estate that has produced an excellent 2019 vintage.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

Bernard Baudry seeks to capture the silky, refined character of Chinon wines while remaining true to their terroir. This approach, which he pursues alongside his son Matthieu, is complemented by organic certification and has inspired them to plant ungrafted vines—grown from rootstock 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 sometimes sweetness in hot vintages, which could delight Saint-Émilion enthusiasts. This cuvée naturally takes the lead among Touraine’s great reds; be mindful, however, of the animal notes found in certain vintages.

Wine Enthusiast