21353 customer reviews

Albane and Bertrand Minchin - Le Claux Delorme Valençay Red 2008

Albane et Bertrand Minchin - Le Claux Delorme Valençay Rouge 2008

Valençay|Red wine

3.4/5 (5 customers)

Notes: Bettane & Desseauve 16/20 + comment: " Pure bliss!"
“Juicy, well-ripened tannins with a silkiness unique to the appellation. A real treat!” (Le Grand Guide des Vins de France 2010 - Bettane & Desseauve). Claux Delorme’s Valençay red blends the four AOC grape varieties—Gamay, Cot, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir—grown on a flinty clay terroir. They produce a complex, dense, and precise cuvée with very round fruit. Ideal for discovering this all-too-little-known appellation.

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Estate

Domaines Minchin

Vintage

2008

Designation

Valençay

Region

Loire

Grape varieties

40% Gamay, 30% Côt, 20% CAbernet Franc, 10% Pinot Noir

Regions

Flint clay in the subsoil, with a surface layer of gravel approximately 30 to 60 cm thick

Viticulture

Grass cover, the most environmentally friendly cultivation method possible. Bud removal, leaf removal, and green harvesting as needed. Yield: 45 hl/ha

Grape Harvest

manual

Winemaking

Some of the grape varieties are vinified separately, with a 30-day fermentation period in small tanks (50 hl)

Livestock farming

Cabernet Franc and Cot are aged in barrels and 600-liter casks

Nose

A spicy nose of paprika and pepper blends with beautiful notes of blackberry and morello cherry

Palate

rich, full-bodied, and fresh, with dense, refined tannins and beautifully ripe fruit

Serve

Decant at 12-14°C

Open

1 hour ago

Drink from

2009

Drink before

2014

Food and wine pairings

A déguster sur des viandes grillées, un magret de canard, une daube de boeuf, des terrines ou pâtés, des fromages de brebis...<br/>

More information at Domaines Minchin

More information at Valençay

Bettane & Desseauve

Rated estate (2026 guide): 3 stars (High-quality production, setting the standard in its sector)

About the estate:

On his 17-hectare vineyard, Bertrand Minchin, a cheerful and engaging winemaker, continues to make progress. His estate in Menetou-Salon is now certified organic, and the one in Valencay is in the process of conversion. With each vintage, he refines the style of his reds, which are now among the best in the region, and his whites—often well-structured—have also gained in precision. The range offers superb value for money.

Guide Hachette des vins

Rated estate (2026 guide) Featured (Successful wine)

About the estate:

A stalwart of the Menetou-Salon appellation with his Dom. la Tour Saint-Martin, Bertrand Minchin—equally adept with reds and whites—has been at the helm of 17 hectares of vineyards on the hills above Morogues since 1987, currently in the process of converting to organic farming. In 2004, he expanded into the Valençay appellation with the 15 hectares of Claux Delorme in Selles-sur-Cher, where he quickly established himself as a leading producer.

RVF - The French Wine Review / Guide to the Best Wines of France

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

Rated estate (2026 guide) Selected (Please note that this guide is a ranking, and as such, all the estates listed here—even those without a star—represent, in our view, the pinnacle of French winemaking.)

About the estate:

Bertrand Minchin is based in Morogues, a Menetou-Salon cru, with the La Tour Saint Martin estate, and also in Valençay (Claux Delorme)—two estates that make up Domaines Minchin. The Valençay wines are lively and straightforward; the Menetou-Salon vintages are vinified with precision. The Sauvignons reflect the character of their terroir thanks to meticulous craftsmanship, as do the skillfully crafted reds. The estate has been certified Organic since 2022.

Customer rating

3.4/5

based on 5 reviews