Charles Joguet - Chinon Clos de la Dioterie Monopole 2020

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.

Located near the winery, this plot represents the estate’s historic terroir. It is planted with old vines, ranging from 70 to 80 years old, and faces northeast. The soil consists of a thick layer of clay overlying limestone bedrock, and this plot is generally the last to be harvested, allowing the grapes to reach optimal ripeness. The 2020 Chinon Clos de la Dioterie presents, as usual, a lively, fresh, and complex bouquet of wild black berries, cedar, cherries, spring flowers, and spices. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied to full-bodied, pure and precise, supported by powdery tannins and a fleshy, sap-like mid-palate, and concludes with a structured yet delicate and mineral finish. It is a magnificent wine and one of the favorites in the Charles Joguet lineup.

Though still reserved in its youth, Le Clos de la Dioterie seems destined for a bright future. The Cabernet’s maturity, the precision of the extraction, and the way the aging process brings out its best qualities are in perfect harmony in this distinguished wine, supported by a tannic structure of incredible elegance. It elicits a gentle, lingering salivation. Radiant! Its fullness and finesse already make it irresistibly approachable.

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!

Le Clos de la Dioterie is a northeast-facing vineyard on the left bank of the Vienne River, planted in clay-limestone soil. It is one of the last plots to be harvested. The 2020 barrel sample offers a delightful texture—exuding a fine, chalky grain. Its style is almost creamy and rich, but as this is a Cabernet Franc from the Loire, it retains its elegance and structure. It is a ripe style, featuring black fruit, with abundant oak and great length. Aromas of tea leaves, smoke, and spices linger on the taut, concentrated finish, no doubt thanks to the limestone subsoil.

Aromas of red berries, wild herbs, roasted peppers, charred bark, and baking spices. It is medium-bodied with fine tannins. Plenty of body in the midpalate with a velvety texture of berries and sweet spices. Good vitality and balance with a textured finish. Made from organically grown grapes. Ready to drink or suitable for aging.