2009 Chinon Les Grezeaux From Bernard and Matthieu Baudry!

2/14/11 -

(Matthieu Baudry with his son, Photo: D. Lillie)

One of my favorite wines of the 1989 vintage in the Loire Valley was the Chinon Les Grezeaux of Bernard Baudry which we imported directly at Garnet Wines back in the dim, dark past - a superb wine that was lovely to drink young and that a fortunate few still have in their cellars. It's been a great pleasure to work with the Baudrys over the past 20 years and to see Bernard's son, Matthieu, become such a wonderful young man and thoughtful wine-maker alongside his father. The estate has progressed over the years, acquiring new parcels, now working organically in the vineyard and constantly fine-tuning their vinifications to better express each terroir. Which brings us to the 2009 vintage, a year in which each wine from this estate seemed to reach near-perfection, bringing smiles and incredulity both times we've tasted through them. Les Grézeaux is a unique parcel of gravel over a bed of clay, sand and limestone at the base of the Coteaux du Sonnay, just west of Cravant. The wine always has a silky, supple texture and in this generous vintage the fruit is complex and deep with earthy flavors on the palate and good finishing acidity. It seems perfectly balanced and built to last. Will it age as well as the 1989? Perhaps not, but only time will tell and it will be very difficult to keep from drinking this gorgeous wine. The Baudrys have generously released a good quantity of this wine to us which will arrive over the next few months, approximately twenty cases are currently available, additional quantites will be Pre-Arrival. And we draw your attention to the 2008's from the Baudrys, currently in stock, which are extremely expressive of their terroirs - particlulary the superb La Croix Boissee, which will mature into a magnificent Chinon!