Charles Joguet - Les Petites Roches 2014

Bettane & Desseauve

About wine:

Les Petites Roches stands out for its freshness and precision, with lively, sharp fruit that will make lovers of crisp, floral Cabernet salivate, without a hint of vegetal notes.

About the estate:

For Anne-Charlotte Genet, the quest for perfectly harmonious tannins without any harshness is the guarantee of wines that are capable of being good when young and good when aged. The result is seductive wines that embody charm, complexity, sensuality, and great refinement. With a rare intelligence in understanding vines and wine, this is Chinon at its very best.

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

About the estate:

Founded in 1957 by Charles Joguet in Sazilly, on the left bank of the Vienne River, this estate has returned to the top of the Chinon appellation, a crowning achievement for the team in charge of winemaking and vineyards, chosen by owner Jacques Genet. They work to a high standard of excellence, given the size of the estate. The winemakers have above all revived a vibrant spirit of freshness in the great Cabernets, which have the originality of being exposed to the northeast. Few estates in the Loire have such essential grand cuvées: Clos de la Dioterie (2 hectares of 80-year-old vines on clay-limestone soils, facing northeast, in Sazilly), Clos du Chêne Vert (2 hectares in the town of Chinon, southwest, steep slope, clay-limestone and flint clay), Les Varennes du Grand Clos (4.5 hectares in Sazilly) aged for eighteen months in barrels then ten months in bottles before release. As for the entry-level vintages, they manage to make Cabernet Franc consensual and refined, without losing the origin of the terroir. This is a great quality! These modern Cabernet Francs, both refined and deep, manage to achieve the feat of retaining their digestibility, as seen in the 2019, 2020, and now 2021 vintages, which are among the most ambitious in the Loire!

Wine Enthusiast