Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Domaine 2021

Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Domaine is all Cabernet Franc, drawn mainly from limestone plateau vines above the first slope of Chinon.

Chinon is Cabernet Franc country, and the Baudry family has spent decades mapping the differences between its gravel, sand and limestone soils. The bulk of Le Domaine comes from organically farmed high-sited vines at Saint Louans, on the plateau above Chinon's première côte, where the principal parcel carries the name Cimetière aux Chiens, most likely a reference to the limestone littering the ground. To that Baudry blends roughly 20 per cent from vines in the gravelly soils of Cravant-les-Côteaux. Fermentation is with wild yeasts in traditional cement vats, and the wine then ages 15 months in a mix of concrete and old casks before being bottled unfiltered, two springs after harvest. That longer maturation is a recent change, intended to bring out the limestone character and soften the wine's approach. Alcohol sits at an old-fashioned 12.2 per cent.

Drink now or hold for six to eight years. Serve at 16°C with slow-cooked beef, roast pork or a plate of rillettes.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.