Chinon, Old and New - Featuring Baudry Domaine 2010!
9/18/12 -
The arrival of the 2010 Baudry Chinon Cuvée Domaine is really a reason to rejoice. This small production from Bernard and Matthieu is one of my favorite house reds, with the added bonus that it ages beautifully as well. While it must be said that this vintage is not as ready to drink as in past years, it is a wonderfully balanced and complex Chinon and a superb value at the price. Decant or open the night before if drinking now, cellar five to ten years for peak enjoyment. Our second shipment of the Baudry's magnificent 2010 Les Grezeaux has also arrived, and if this superb wine is not in your cellar, it should be. The gravel terroir also makes this gorgeous wine a great delight when young! Moving backwards in time we are offering the unique 2004 Chinon Les Roches from Alain and Jerome Lenoir. This tiny estate in Beaumont produces one of the most old-fashioned wines in the appellation, giving us a delicious glimpse of Chinons from before the war. While 2002 was a truly great vintage for white wines in the Loire, the reds have always seemed to be under-achievers. The 2002 Olga Raffault Les Picasses gets more and more interesting as it ages, with one of the most secondary flavor profiles of any recent Chinon. The first vintages we bought from Olga Raffault were 1987 and 1988, two somewhat difficult vintages that were difficult to sell - "where's the fruit?" said the critics. And then, fortunately, came 1989, the greatest vintage for Loire reds since 1947. Any chance to obtain a few more bottles should be taken advantage of. While 1990, being the second warm dry year, produced wines with a bit less acidity and balance, the wine is aging well and it too will bring great pleasure to lovers of old Chinon. While we may be singing to the choir, we think that fine Chinon is one of the worlds greatest wines to cellar, regardless of price! (Please 2 - bottle max per person on the 89 and 90. Hopefully the Raffaults will keep the small quantities coming in. All wines discount 10% with a 12-bottle purchase)
