New Arrivals from Domaine Bernard Baudry: 2022 Chinon "Les Grézeaux" and 2021 Chinon "Les Mollières"
The Baudry Chinon "Les Grézeaux" is one of the most pleasing and versatile red wines of the Loire – the 2022 is absolutely gorgeous! And we love the new cuvee “Les Mollières” which is delicate and delicious in 2021!
The Baudry Chinon "Les Grézeaux" is from a unique parcel of sixty year-old vines near the bottom of the slope in Sonnay (near Cravant-les-Coteaux) on a bed of gravel over a base of clay, sand and limestone. The grapes are harvested by hand of course and fermented with wild yeasts with zero SO2 added during vinification. Beginning in 2017, the wine ages in large cement vats by Nico Velo, which are slightly porous.
Les Grézeaux always has an elegant silky texture and wonderful freshness, making it delicious as a young wine, combined with the ability to age beautifully for 20 years and more in good vintages.
2022: concentrated and juicy, say the Baudrys. “2022 was a hot, dry year.There was no damage to the vines due to spring frost; we therefore expected a generous harvest. Fine weather arrived in early May, with very little rainfall and favourable conditions all through the springtime. Few treatments were needed, and we managed the growth of the vines carefully and serenely. The summer was warm, but the heat was never overwhelming. There was a long dry spell in July and August. Water stress on alluvial deposits (“Les Granges”) was relieved after the first showers in late August and early September. The vines were rehydrated, and the growth cycle resumed as harvest time neared. The first Chenin blanc grapes were harvested very early in September, whereas the first Cabernet Francs were vatted around September 12. The volumes harvested were very satisfactory on all the plots. The red wines are quite concentrated and display deep and intense colours. Due to its generous fruit and its juicy character, this vintage is outstanding. The 2022s will keep for years, particularly those from limestone soils. 2022 belongs to the truly great vintages, alongside 2010, 2018 and 2020!”
Tasted in Cravant in February 2023, the 2022 “Les Grézeaux” showed a bright deep black/red color – “jus de viande” said Matthieu, with beautiful density of fruit, vibrant and mineral with fabulous sapid length. Intense and concentrated as a young wine, this will drink beautifully for at least 15 years – well worth buying by the case!
The 2021 Chinon “Les Mollières” is a different story entirely, coming from a terroir of thin clay soils over limestone, giving an earthy, lighter-bodied wine with fine aromas of red fruits, flowers and earth. The 2021 seemed a bit lighter than the 2020 with very pretty raspberry/strawberry aromas, floral and pure, with a palate of earth and minerals with subtle red fruits – a lovey and more delicate Chinon for drinking over the next ten years…
