{"title":"A Very Great Chinon! (and more Loire reds, of course)","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"guion-19-cuvee-authentique","title":"Guion 2019 Bourgueil Cuvee Authentique","description":"\u003cp\u003e2019 brings us another superb wine from Stéphane Guion in Bourgueil, whose domaine has been certified organic since the 1960s. The new Cuvée Authentique replaces the Cuvée Prestige (we're not sure why?) coming from vines averaging 50 years-old on thin topsoils of sandy clay over limestone (tuffau jaune)  in the parcels \"Grand Mont,\" \"les Marquises,\" le Vlaudons,\" \"le Maupas,\" \"les Caveries,\" \"Petit Mont\" and \"Chavannes,\" terroirs that produces some of the most elegant and age-worthy Bourgueils. 2019 was another hot, dry year in the Loire Valley, but light rains in September and early October brought balance to  the grapes, producing wines that are ripe and generous, with firm acidities, velvety tannins and moderate alcohol. Tasted in France last February the 2019 Authentique showed gorgeous aromas of red and black fruits with floral, earth  and herbal notes, quite pretty and ripe. The palate showed deeper black fruits, earth, spice and stone with the intense mineral character and firm acidity always present in Stephane's wines, with a moderate 13% alcohol, and a fabulous cool and sapid mineral finish. This superb  wine will benefit from a long decant or a few years in the cellar, it should open up beautifully in five years or so, enjoy until 2040+  David Lillie\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fruit of the Vines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44588915982561,"sku":"262183","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3790\/6145\/files\/Guion2019Authentique-FB.jpg?v=1743539601"},{"product_id":"chevalerie-14-breteche","title":"Chevalerie 2014 Bourgueil \"Breteche\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eBretêche (Domaine de la Chevalerie is the only estate claiming this vineyard name) is the easternmost vineyard, a rented plot on the border of Ingrandes-de-Touraine. On the southwestern exposed upper part of the mid-slope, the vines are planted on a meter-deep heavier clay with high mica content above the Turonian yellow tuffeau. The vines, biodynamically farmed, are between 25 to 55 years old. More powerful than Busardières with broader tannins, the wine maintains a great freshness. Hand-harvested and destemmed, the grapes are macerated for up to 20 days and aged in large used barrels in the magnificent underground cave dug into the yellow tuffeau for roughly 8 to 10 moths. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. 2014 is considered a great classic vintage in the Loire for Cabernet Franc, and it is indeed very good at Domaine de la Chevalerie, with fruit a little darker than the 2015 (this opposite to a lot of other estates in the region). Ruby purple in the glass this cuvée as usual has more freshness, tension and a little austerity - 2014 enhances these typical quality of the wine! More open than the 2015, the nose has distinctive black cherry, elderberry notes, Chinese badiane and spearmint. The palate is still deliciously youthful barely showing any evolution, with lean and brilliant acidity, and oolong-like tannins. It is already very-well structured and poised, not angular at all. Decant it 2 hours and serve it in Bordeaux glasses, or keep it 20 years or so - I would say it will reach another plateau by 2025. Enjoy it with a duck magret, the juice reduced with a touch of raspberry vinegar, or sweetbreads in a madeira sauce. 100% Cabernet Franc. -\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ePascaline Lepeltier\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e (2022)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Zev Rovine Selections","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44588917719265,"sku":"261327","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3790\/6145\/files\/Chevalerie2014Breteche-FB.jpg?v=1725555873"},{"product_id":"chevalerie-2015-bourgueil-breteche","title":"Chevalerie 2015 Bourgueil Breteche","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBretêche is Chevalerie's easternmost vineyard, a rented plot on the border of Ingrandes-de-Touraine - (Domaine de la Chevalerie is  the only estate claiming this vineyard name). On the southwestern exposed upper part of the mid-slope, the vines are planted on a meter-deep heavier clay with high mica content above the Turonian yellow tuffeau. The vines, biodynamically farmed are between 25 to 55 years old. 2015 was an easier, more mastered vintage for the Caslot siblings, as the growing season was never extreme, and the harvests were peaceful. A little more concentrated than the 2014, especially in acidity, this a great vintage for the Domaine! Bretêche 15 is still a baby! Purple in the glass, the wine as usual has more freshness, tension and a little austerity. This is even more apparent here. The nose is a little restrained, showing progressively a lot of black and red currant and cranberry, hibiscus tea and black cardamom. In the palate, it is a superbly balanced wine, with some chiseled tannins enhanced by the lingering acidity. There is less flesh than other cuvées, and the texture is sleeker  but absolutely charming and vibrant - and could please any Burgundy lover. You will pick up more herbal notes in the palate : tobacco, beet juice, pink peppercorn. A great bottle to keep 10 years and plus, as it is built to age!  To serve it now, decant it a good hour at least or enjoy it over multiple days. 100% Cabernet Franc. -\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ePascaline Lepeltier \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e(2022)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Zev Rovine Selections","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44947119669473,"sku":"3613042664627","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3790\/6145\/files\/Chevalerie2015Breteche-FB.jpg?v=1725555932"},{"product_id":"baudry-2022-chinon-les-grezeaux","title":"Baudry, Bernard 2022 Chinon Les Grézeaux","description":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the most pleasurable red wines of the Loire Valley, 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. \u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast;\"\u003eTasted in Cravant in February 2023, the 2022 “Les Grezeaux” 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!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003co:p\u003e\u003c\/o:p\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"David Bowler Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45102380712161,"sku":"614019601860","price":31.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3790\/6145\/files\/Baudry_Bernard2022ChinonLesGrezeaux.jpg?v=1715274343"},{"product_id":"chevalerie-2015-bourgueil-les-galichets","title":"Chevalerie 2015 Bourgueil Les Galichets","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Chevalerie \"Galichets\" vineyard is on mid-slope Turonian limestone with clay and alluvial sand and gravel topsoil, rich in silex; the vines average about 60 years of age - similar to the \"Chevalerie\" parcel but a bit lower on the slope, giving a wine that is more open and easy for early drinking.  Certified Biodynamic. The 2015 vintage is excellent, with a bit more ripeness and lower acidity than 2014, while retaining the core of minerals and acidity always found in the Chevalerie wines. The aromas of black raspberry and blackberry fruit are ripe and floral. The palate is dense and silky, very mineral with ripe red and black fruits and a clean vibrant finish. At maturity and drinking beautifully now, decant if possible. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Zev Rovine Selections","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45786226917601,"sku":"18397","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3790\/6145\/files\/Chevalerie2015Galichets-FB.jpg?v=1728503191"},{"product_id":"guion-2022-bourgueil-cuvee-candide","title":"Guion 2022 Bourgueil Cuvée Candide","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eThis wine expresses the natural characteristics of Cabernet Franc without frills or fuss with its aromas of red fruits, mineral flavors, a certain freshness accompanied by a slight tannic structure, it can be tasted now or kept for 4\/5 years.\u003c\/em\u003e\" - Stéphane Guion. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 2022 Candide shows a deep, vivid black\/red color with bright rim with intense, pure aromas of cassis, black raspberry and blackberry confit (a little brighter than the 2019 and 2020), stone and violets - very deep and ripe but still bright with earth and minerals as well. The palate is medium-bodied, finely textured, quite chalky with saline mineral flavors that have a firm grip on the very pure blackberry and black cherry liqueur fruits, which continue in the long chalky finish, which somehow remains light and balanced. This \"drink-young\" cuvée is quite serious in 2022 and will benefit from a day open or a few years in the cellar, drink until 2032+. A sensational value, of course... DL\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fruit of the Vines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46139173830881,"sku":"22294","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3790\/6145\/files\/Guion2022Candide-FB.jpg?v=1741291565"},{"product_id":"chevalerie-2018-bourgueil-les-galichets","title":"Chevalerie 2018 Bourgueil \"Les Galichets\"","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDomaine de la Chevalerie's \"Les Galichets\" vineyard is on the lower part of the Turonian slope just below the \"Chevalerie\" plot,  with clay -alluvial sand and gravel topsoils, rich in silex,  giving a wine that is more open and easy for early drinking.  The vines average about 60 years of age. The wine is aged in large old barrels, and bottled after 6 months unfined unfiltered. The 2018 shows very pretty, quite ripe and lush strawberry and cherry aromas with violets and citrus in this rather warm and fruit-forward vintage. The palate is soft and velvety with good acidity and pretty red fruits that linger, with an extra layer of sapid fruit in the finish with earthy acidity. Serve cool with roast chicken, pork and vegetable dishes, drink now and over the next five to ten years.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Zev Rovine Selections","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46144464158945,"sku":"22332","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3790\/6145\/files\/ChevalerieGalichets.2.png?v=1750195458"},{"product_id":"guion-2020-bourgueil-grand-mont","title":"Guion 2020 Bourgueil Grand Mont","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eThe cuvee \"Grand Mont\" is a Bourgueil from a selection of old vines of Cabernet Franc on the clay-limestone terroir of Grand Mont in Benais. The harvest is done manually selecting the best grapes. The vinification is done naturally, without artifice, followed by aging in oak barrels. This cuvee with aromas of black fruits and spice with a ripe silky and dense palate will evolve and open after a minimum 3 to 4 years in the bottle\u003c\/em\u003e.\" 20 day maceration in wooden cuve, 18 months aging in 400L barrels and cuve inox, 3 years aging in bottle before release. Tasted in December 2024, the wine showed a deep black\/red color and elegant aromas of black fruits with floral hints, spice and licorice. The palate is beautifully balanced with a silky texture, round tannins and beautiful blackberry and black currant fruit, dark chocolate and earth with lovely freshness. Mineral flavors, firm acidity and ripe fruits continue in the long finish. Just a sensational wine! This classic Loire Cabernet Franc will be best 2028 - 2045. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fruit of the Vines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46309224906977,"sku":"21067","price":31.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3790\/6145\/files\/GuionGrandMont.jpg?v=1752683049"},{"product_id":"guion-2018-bourgueil-deux-monts","title":"Guion 2018 Bourgueil Deux Monts","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom  70-80 year-old vines in \"Petits Monts\" and \"Grand Monts\" towards the top of the slope above Benais, facing roughly south-west, clay over Turonien limestone (tuffeau, craie micacée).  18-month élevage ; 40% in cuve inox, 20% in one new 400 liter barrel, 20% in one-year and 20% in two-year old barrels, assembled two months before bottling. This is the terroir giving the most elegant and age-worthy Bourgueils and 2018 is a magnificent vintage for this wine!  Tasted July 2022, the wine showed a deep red\/black color and lush aromas of ripe cassis and black raspberry with hints of brown spice and oak. The palate is a lovely combination of ripe black fruits and bright acidity, dense and supple with graphite and saline minerals under the deep fruits in the very long finish. Forward enough to enjoy now, this will need time to unfold its mysteries and will be a very complex and beautiful mature wine, best to wait 5 years then drink until 2042 and beyond. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fruit of the Vines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46602625777889,"sku":"25397","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3790\/6145\/files\/Guion-2019-Bourgueil-Deux-Monts---FB.jpg?v=1722707978"},{"product_id":"guion-2023-bourgueil-rose","title":"Guion 2023 Bourgueil Rosé","description":"\u003cp\u003e50 years of organic farming (now certified Biodynamic) and great traditional winemaking give this vibrant rosé from Stéphane Guion in Bourgueil its perfect balance with beautiful fruit and great earthy expression of the gravel and limestone\/clay terroir. The wine shows lush strawberry\/raspberry aromas with citrus, rose and earth. Raspberry, blood orange, melon and earthy flavors on the ripe but dry palate which is framed in firm acidity and saline minerals. Showing terrific length and density in the serious finish. This is a real rosé of terroir, and for lovers of Cabernet Franc it's one of the greatest values around - drinking beautifully now and through 2028. \u003cem\u003eDavid Lillie \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fruit of the Vines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47441901945057,"sku":"27919","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3790\/6145\/files\/Guion2022BourgueilRose-FB.jpg?v=1719597726"},{"product_id":"baudry-bernard-2023-chinon-le-domaine","title":"Baudry, Bernard 2023 Chinon Le Domaine","description":"\u003cp\u003e(Was $25.99) The Baudry Chinon \"Domaine\" is always one of our favorite reds from the Loire Valley and it's a sensational value as well.   All Cabernet Franc of course, a new blend, mostly from a parcel in St. Louans near \"Les Mollières\" where the thin sand and clay over limestone soils give earthy well-structured wines, with the balance from similar soils on the lower part of the Clos Guillot. Organic farming, wild-yeast fermentation, aging 15 months in 5 to 10 year-old wooden vats and cement with almost no added SO2. While we miss the old-fashioned earthy style of previous vintages, there is no doubt that this new version is superior wine, with a profile more akin to Les Mollieres. Tasted Feb 3rd in Angers, the wine showed elegant berry, stone and herbal aromas with supple, fresh, very elegant red fruits and mineral flavors on the palate, making it delicious now but probably best in 5 to 10 years. Lovely wine!  DL\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Louis\/Dressner Selections","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47877422907617,"sku":"614019602355","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3790\/6145\/files\/Baudry_Bernard_2022_Chinon_Le_Domaine.jpg?v=1716913301"},{"product_id":"chevalerie-2024-bourgueil-rose-moulin-a-vent","title":"Chevalerie 2024 Bourgueil Rosé Moulin A Vent","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Times;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\" data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"\u003e\"Wow, a Bourgueil rosé from Domaine de la Chevalerie! I can easily drink this all summer (or all year).. it is an easy and crushable wine to have as an aperitif but also shines at the table where all its complexity emerges with time.. pair it with everything from the spring \/ early summer veggies we are seeing at the market to grilled meats like lambs or pork, a roast chicken would be perfect. I really honestly would have this wine with just anything. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: Times;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eIt is full tart red fruit… think cherry and strawberry, a touch of strawberry and cream, but also some wild herbaceous notes pop up, it has a touch of the earthy cab franc shining through, beautiful acidity and feels very much alive. It is for me somehow a wine that is both simple and complex. It opens up beautifully and of course since this is \u003cspan data-markjs=\"true\" class=\"marksrv7ul3dy\" data-ogac=\"\" data-ogab=\"\" data-ogsc=\"\" data-ogsb=\"\"\u003eChevalerie\u003c\/span\u003e there is always some elevage in in barrel and bottle before release. This release is 2024 yet it is vibrant and alive and oh so youthful. This is rose to drink now or age.\" - Our friend Chase\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Zev Rovine Selections","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48560141500641,"sku":"32974","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}]},{"product_id":"chevalerie-2020-bourgueil-peu-muleau","title":"Chevalerie 2020 Bourgueil Peu Muleau","description":"\u003cp\u003ePeu Muleau is located on the upper part of the hill in Bourgueil, just below the forest, on Cenozoic eolian sands with iron, clay and altered limestone tuffeau. The vines are around 35 years old, and farmed biodynamically. The maceration lasts less than 20 days, with no extraction. Aging is done in a mix of cement tank and large used barrels with less and less oak. This is the earliest drinking single-vineyard cuvée, always on the raspberry and wild violet with very supple tannins, but you can keep it for 10 years and more without a problem. Peu Muleau is always more linear than Les Galichets - it does not have the same clay-gravel flesh, dancing on its feet with great elegance. The 2020 however, shows a riper profile than usual with beautiful concentration and purity in the floral, red fruit, earth and spice aromas. The palate is supple and round with gorgeous fruit that remains bright and fresh backed by the subtle chalky terroir notes always found in this wine. This wine is a steal - take a case for now and a case for the next ten years... DL\/PL\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Zev Rovine Selections","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48560142352609,"sku":"32973","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3790\/6145\/files\/Chevalerie2018PeuMuleau.jpg?v=1730752971"},{"product_id":"baudry-bernard-2022-chinon-le-clos-guillot","title":"Baudry, Bernard 2022 Chinon Le Clos Guillot","description":"\u003cp\u003eLe Clos Guillot is a beautiful south-east facing vineyard, just east of the town of Chinon, above the Clos de l'Olive and adjacent to Le Chene Vert. The upper slope of the parcel is clay over limestone (the lower part has sand and gravel over the rock, which permitted a tiny separate production from franc de pied vines, now mostly deceased) and the vines are relatively young, planted from 1993 to 2000. Fermentation in wooden cuves, 12 months of aging in three to ten year-old barriques, 9 additional months in unlined cement vats. The 2022 Clos Guillot is a truy great wine, an incredibly elegant combination of gorgeous complex red and black fruits, an intense mineral backbone and perfect acidity, beautifully balanced, without excess weight and with remarkable purity. In my humble opinion it represents one of the greatest values in fine wine to be found anywhere on the planet! Tasted twice, in the Baudry cellar in February 2023 and with Mattheu in Angers in February 2026. Condensing my sketchy notes, they say \u003cem\u003e\"2\/3 cement, 1\/3 3 year-old barrel. 'full of energy, enormous potential says Matthieu' Bright black color, pure, floral, gorgeous fruit, not heavy, vibrant, long, beautiful...\" \u003c\/em\u003eIf you need more detail, here is the review from the leading Loire writer, Chris Kissack \"\u003cem\u003eAn elegant yet explosive nose here, with notes of rose, dark chocolate, roasted coffee bean, black olive tapenade and the freshness of cherry stones. The palate is elegant and shows more restraint than I expected given the rather exotic themes encountered on the nose. It is beautifully poised, with grip yet finesse, the former coming to dominate in the midpalate, where complex notes of blood orange, white peach and peony come to the fore. A very serious style, correct and delineated, developing more texture by the second time I tasted it, with a firm and tightly grained core of tannins. It finishes with a beautiful, saline, mouth-watering flourish of mineral tension. It shows a very calcaire rather than clay style this year, which only amplifies its deliciousness. A remarkable vintage for Le Clos Guillot\u003c\/em\u003e.\" Given its wonderful freshness and beautiful fruit, the wine will be delicious young but will really sing after 10 years in the cellar and at least until 2042-2045+.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"David Bowler Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48626328142049,"sku":"33610","price":46.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3790\/6145\/files\/Baudry_Bernard2021ChinonLesClosGuillot.jpg?v=1720560747"},{"product_id":"ferme-du-mont-benault-2025-petites-cailloux-rouge","title":"Ferme du Mont Benault 2025 Petits Cailloux Rouze (Arrives 7\/29)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe 2025 Petits Cailloux Rouze is a delightful Anjou red made by the talented Stéphane Rocher at La Ferme du Mont Benault in Faye D'Anjou. Grolleau, Cabernet Franc and Pineau D'Aunis grown on red schist soils, 40% carbonic maceration, 60% direct press and 100% delicious. The nose is beautiful and subtle, the palate is light but juicy and full of red currant\/berry fruits, long and refreshing, really a lovely wine - serve cool and be happy! \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fruit of the Vines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48679076495585,"sku":"34019","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0602\/3790\/6145\/files\/FermeduMontPetitscailloux.png?v=1784838479"}],"url":"https:\/\/chambersstwines.com\/collections\/a-very-great-chinon-and-more-loire-reds-of-course.oembed","provider":"Chambers Street Wines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}