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Bernard Baudry

Chinon Masterclass: Les Granges, Chinon Rosé, and More, Back in Stock…
Bernard Baudry

Matthieu Baudry continues to find new ways to progress his family Domaine and grow Cabernet Franc with ever more finesse. Sure, the father’s wines and choice of vineyards lit the torch—but the son’s progressive, outward-looking philosophy in the vineyard and cellar has taken everything to a new level. On top of an already impressive organic program, Baudry is now in his third year of biodynamic farming. Meanwhile, in the Domaine’s limestone-carved cellars, smaller oak vessels are making way for more large-format and concrete. The results are looking impressive indeed.

You may have heard Rob talk about Baudry’s outstanding 2022 vintage. The 2023s are no less impressive, albeit in a suppler, juicer, more approachable style. From this charming vintage, Baudry’s entry-level reds are singing, as is the silky, benchmark Loire rosé. Each bottling captures the artisan spirit of the Loire Valley like few others in the appellation.

 

“The entire wine range displays tender loving care and a light touch: the fruit shows excellent purity.” Vinous

 

“If it’s a masterclass in Chinon you’re looking for, try all of Baudry’s cuvées, side by side.” JancisRobinson.com

The Wines

Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Blanc 2023

Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Blanc 2023

Organic. 100% Chenin Blanc. In most cases, Chinon’s white grapes have been shunted to the less favourable sites. At this address, all the whites are drawn from the sirloin cut of Chinon’s finest limestone terroirs. Baudry’s rare Chinon Blanc hails from two small parcels: 0.8 hectares of vines behind the Château de Sonnay, propagated with cuttings from the vineyards of Domaine Huet; and the eroded limestone of La Croix Boissée. In 2023, Baudry’s eldest Chenin vines, from the latter vineyard also form part of the cuvée.  In the cellar, Matthieu Baudry prefers a slow and delicate pressing. The juice fermented naturally in concrete egg (25%) and old 500- and 600-litre barrels until dryness. The wine was bottled unfiltered. 


The 2023 Chinon Blanc reminds me of a white Burgundy. Tasting this wine is comparable to switching on a light: it's electric and bright. The tangy 2023 spent its time between demi-muids and concrete eggs, and derives a salty reductive character from its seven months on lees. Though it only has 11.5% alcohol, the combination of high fruit concentration, oak and lees makes the palate feel rich with a slight grilled note. The acidity is vibrant despite full malolactic fermentation.
93 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Blanc 2023
Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Rosé 2024

Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Rosé 2024

Organic. 100% Cabernet Franc. Baudry’s irresistible rosé was traditionally drawn from a parcel of vines rooted in the gravel terroir of Grézeaux, originally planted by Matthieu’s father some 30 years ago. More recently, to counter the warmer seasons, Baudry has introduced a new vineyard: Les Balais. It sits on Chinon’s Cornuelles, clay and flint soils sited high on the Chinon coteau, above his iconic Croix Boissée vineyard. The fruit from the flinty soils of this site now contributes at least 70% of the blend and brings incisive cut and minerality to the riper fruit from the valley floor. 

As always, the grapes were picked by hand and made by the pressurage method, whereby the wine’s delicate colour comes from minimal skin contact in the press. The wine fermented with indigenous yeasts—two-thirds in Italian-made concrete tanks and the remainder in stainless steel. It was left on lees with no sulphur added before bottling. True to style, it's a subtle, silky-textured and balanced wine that captures bitter cherry and orange zest flavours alongside chalky drive and mineral lift. In other words: really delicious.


"The 2024 Chinon Rosé sports an attractive pale-pink hue and a delectable texture. Sourced from a one-hectare parcel, the flint-rich soil lends a little grip and freshness. It has a nice savory note and red fruit provides complexity. The 2024 saw full malolactic fermentation is done and spent some time on lees, both of which give a roundness and ease before the 2024 finishes with firm drive."
91 points, Rebecca Gibb, MW
Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Rosé 2024
Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Granges 2023

Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Granges 2023

Organic. 100% Cabernet Franc. Les Granges is the Baudry family’s vin de bistro—a delicious, entry-level Cabernet Franc designed for early drinking. It comes mostly from the Estate’s younger vines, planted between 1985 and 1988 in the alluvial gravel soils of the terraces beside the river Vienne. The fruit was picked by hand and coolly fermented for two weeks in cement tanks, before maturing for 7 to 10 months, also in cement.

"The 2023 Les Granges is not complicated but well made, offering pleasure and layers of flavor. This is a little reductive in its youth, hiding the primary fruit at this time, but there's also a smoky note here with grilled padrón peppers. Despite modest alcohol levels, there's sufficient richness with bright line and length.""The 2023 Les Granges is not complicated but well made, offering pleasure and layers of flavor. This is a little reductive in its youth, hiding the primary fruit at this time, but there's also a smoky note here with grilled padrón peppers. Despite modest alcohol levels, there's sufficient richness with bright line and length."
89 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
“From a parcel of 30- to 40-year-old vines in sandy, gravelly alluvial soils. Certified organic, and farmed with biodynamic methods as well. Fermented in stainless-steel tank and aged 9 months in concrete. This wine is a consistent bargain, but even more so in the temperate 2023 vintage. It’s open and giving, ripe yet nervy, Franc's green streak well balanced by plenty of juicy red fruit. It also has depth, a meaty note that, combined with the peppery notes, recalls steak au poivre. I can’t believe a bottle like this is so well distributed and so affordable. VGV.”
16.5 points, Tara Q Thomas, JancisRobinson.com
Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Granges 2023
Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux 2023

Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux 2023

Organic. 100% Cabernet Franc. Les Grézeaux is drawn from the estate’s oldest vines, aged between 50 and 70 years, planted on a gravelly terroir over limestone and clay on the Sonnay plateau above Cravant (in front of the Baudry cellar). The grapes are picked by hand and the fruit ferments in cement vats for 15 to 20 days. It then matures in cement until bottling two winters after the harvest. Of all the domaine’s wines, Les Grézeaux has advanced the most, perhaps due to the series of warm and dry seasons that this terroir loves. It’s the most restrained wine in this offer—it’s more mineral and floral than spicy—while still retaining lovely generosity.

"The youthful 2023 Les Grézeaux offers fresh and pure fruit with bright, salivating acidity. This was sourced from vines growing on the gravel sands just in front of the winery. Winemaker Mathieu Baudry concedes that it's the most difficult of his sites for which to nail the picking date, with a perfect window of just two to three days. There's a definite flesh to the mid-palate, though it doesn't even reach medium body. This aged in cement tanks rather than oak and offers youthful blackberry and raspberry fruit notes. There's a hint of savory smokiness that could be from the gravel or a slight touch of reduction. The 2023 can be enjoyed in the first six to nine years of its life."
91 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
This cuvée, iconic for the Domaine, comes from a vineyard sitting at the foot of the limestone slopes, the soils rich in gravel. The fruit was picked three days ahead of schedule to preserve the acidity, says Matthieu. It was tasted from wooden cuve. The nose is just delightful, all perfumed black fruits, with blackberries and violets. A palate rich in energy, great freshness, bright with fragrant crushed gravel, graphite and liquorice, and more of the crunchy just-ripe blackberries seen on the nose. A wine of tension, with great acidity, and a long finish filled with a light tannic gap. Absolutely delicious, a super Les Grézeaux for true Les Grézeaux lovers. The alcohol sits between 12% and 13%.
92-94 points, Chris Kissak, The Wine Doctor
Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux 2023
Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Clos Guillot 2022

Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Clos Guillot 2022

Organic. 100% Cabernet Franc. The Clos Guillot vineyard is situated on a southeast-facing slope in Chinon with soils of clay, chalk and yellow limestone (known locally as tuffeau). Baudry’s vines here—situated very close to Le Chêne Vert, the vineyard made famous by Charles Joguet—were planted between 1993 and 2000. Unusually, this vineyard also includes a small parcel of the Domaine’s remaining ungrafted vines which used to go to Baudry’s now retired (and much missed) Franc de Pied cuvée. Today these vines are blended into Le Clos Guillot.

Harvesting was by hand, and yields never exceeded 40 hl/ha. Fermentation took place in large wooden fermenters with regular pigéage (to provide gentle extraction of supple tannins). After a maceration of about 20 days, the wine was pressed off and then matured for 12 months in lightly seasoned oak barrels, followed by nine months in cement. Bottled without filtration. Matthieu Baudry describes Le Clos Guillot as a “very pure expression of Chinon.” 

"I tasted the 2022 Le Clos Guillot a year ago and it was not in good shape. I was not aware that they were unfiltered, unbottled samples and I was scathing of their condition. Now filtered and tasted at the winery, this is like a different wine. It's firm, concentrated, dry and savory, befitting of the 2022 vintage. This is a big wine that forms a sturdy block, moving right along. There is flesh on the palate and plenty of juicy fruit that will open when the tannins mellow. The finish is persistent with rich blackcurrant fruit, prune and tar notes. The 2022 may only be medium-bodied, but it is powerful and long. Give this time for it to show its best."
94 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
A real wow moment on meeting this one, the nose is simply bursting with dark roasted fruit, crushed minerals, blood orange, violets, toast and black liquorice. The palate is beautifully textured, very correct for the vintage, nicely polished, filled with layers of dark fruits, finely grained tannins and plenty of acid cut as well. The middle and finish simmers with orange peel and dark currants, all laid over the dense and yet sinewy substance. A fine Le Clos Guillot, with such admirable tension, mineral and acid drive, and incredible length too. One for the cellar – hopefully mine. The alcohol level is between 13% and 13.5%.
94-96 points, Chris Kissak, The Wine Doctor
Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Clos Guillot 2022

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