6/19/25 - 

This begins a two-part email on our favorite producers in Bourgueil, the Caslot family at Domaine de la Chevalerie and Domaine Stéphane Guion!

Situated on the right bank of the Loire, opposite Chinon and just west of Tours, Bourgueil produces beautiful wines from 100% Cabernet Franc, both to enjoy young and for long-term aging. Today we're proud to offer three superb wines from Chevalerie that are rarely available in the US (or even in France!): the 2019 "Busardières," 2019 "Cuvée Chevalerie" and the magnificent  2018 "Grand Mont," along with many more of the delicious and soulful wines made by this overachieving estate!

"Grand Mont" is perhaps the greatest site in Bourgueil - a high, south-facing slope on yellow Turonian limestone with shallow sandy clay soils, rich in mica. Wines from this vineyard are built to age and this rare bottling from Domaine de la Chevalerie is a beautiful example.

Just for fun, let's compare Domaine de la Chevalerie with, for example, Domaine Leroy in Burgundy!

Both have great vineyards on a gradual slope of different limestones, thin stony clay soils on the higher vineyards with thicker clay, sand and gravel on the lower parcels. South-facing in Bourgueil, more southeast facing in Burgundy.

Biodynamic farming since 1988 at Leroy (Our friend Jean-Claude Rateau was the first in Burgundy in 1979) and since 2008 at Chevalerie. (Stephane Guion has been organic, and now Biodynamic, since 1965!)

New vines are sélection massale at both estates.

Long, gentle fermentations with wild yeasts at both estates, minimal SO2 used at Chevalerie.
No new oak at Chevalerie, fine-grained new oak from François Frères, light toast, depending on the wine, at Leroy.

The best wines from both estates age beautifully for 10 to 30+ Years

Chevalerie: Best wines priced at $30 to $75; Leroy: Best wines priced at $1,000 to $3,000??

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Laurie and Emmanuel Caslot are the thirteenth generation at Chevalerie, dating back to 1640, to take care of this magnificent domain of 33 hectares. Their joy in sharing their wines with us is inspiring, as is their commitment to protect their heritage through organic and Biodynamic farming since 2008.

The wines of Chevalerie possess a somewhat indescribable quality - a unique balance between fruit and terroir flavors, enhanced by firm, bright acidity, giving the wines a unique feeling of vibrancy and life that seems to echo the vitality of the family itself. Here are some keys to the quality of the wines:
Massale selection in order to promote biodiversity at the intra-varietal level; Pruning Guyot Poussard respecting the flow of the sap; Debudding for controlled yields and a fine aeration of the bunches; Phytotherapy (herbal plant remedies) in order to minimize sulfur and copper treatments; Biodynamic preparations to encourage plant growth in harmony with the environment;  Natural and sown grass (cereals and vegetable) to promote the structure of the soil, with permanent cover in order to preserve the intrinsic biodiversity and the life on the surface; Addition of biodynamic compost to bring gradual and balanced organic matter to the soil; Agroforestry with the planting of more than 350 trees and fruit trees of different varieties in the vineyards and creating more than 3 kilometres of hedgerows. Respectful vinifications - Natural yeasts, minimal SO2, temperature control, gentle maceration and fermentations, maturing of the wine in demi-muids and large containers (400-500 litres) and terracotta and ceramic jars.
 
Our friend Pascaline Lepeltier is a big fan of Chevalerie: "the Caslots produce  some of the most delicious and sincere Cabernet Franc in the world, and at a fantastic price!  Every time I open a bottle of Domaine de la Chevalerie, I can’t help but smile.  So treat yourself, not by the bottle but by the case, as these wines are as highly addictive and delicious today as they will be with age!"

-David Lillie

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