Charles Joguet - Clos de la Plante Martin 2016

Hints of white flowers; clean and briny on the palate.

For Anne-Charlotte Genet, the quest for perfectly balanced tannins without any harshness is the key to wines that are enjoyable both young and aged. The result is alluring wines that embody charm, complexity, sensuality, and great refinement. With a rare insight into the vineyard and the winemaking process, this estate represents the very best of the Chinon region.

A Chenin harvested at just the right ripeness, with subtle toasty notes and a delicious exotic touch. Well-balanced, refined, with a flavorful body and extremely easy to drink.

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 testament to the team in charge of winemaking and vineyard management, selected by owner Jacques Genet. They maintain a high standard of excellence, given the estate’s size. Above all, the winemakers have revived a vibrant spirit of freshness in their great Cabernet wines, which are unique in that they are grown on northeast-facing slopes. Few estates in the Loire have such essential flagship wines: 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, facing southwest, on a steep slope with clay-limestone and flint-clay soils); Les Varennes du Grand Clos (4.5 hectares in Sazilly), aged eighteen months in barrels followed by ten months in bottles before release. As for the entry-level wines, they succeed in making Cabernet Franc approachable and refined, without losing the terroir’s character. This is a great quality! These modern Cabernet Francs, both refined and deep, pull off the remarkable feat of remaining approachable, as seen in the 2019, 2020, and now 2021 vintages—among the most ambitious in the Loire!

This dry, spicy wine features the typical hazelnut aromas of Chenin Blanc, complemented by intense acidity. Its freshness blends seamlessly with the wine’s richness and fullness, intertwined with minerality and aromas of apple and sliced citrus fruits.

What a superb wine! White Chinon—an appellation often overshadowed by the sheer number of reds produced there—yet one that deserves the utmost attention, as this vintage effortlessly demonstrates, with subtle notes of toasted hazelnut, citrus, and peach resting on a mineral foundation. On the palate, it is precise, remarkably lively, and has beautiful length. A must-try.