★★ Producteur de très grands vins Le Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France 2023 (The equal highest rated Domaine in Chinon) “While they are sometimes labelled traditionalists, I find them to be more naturalists. Everything here is organic, harvested by hand and bottled without fining or filtration. In any case, theirs is a style that I admire: they make cabernet franc taste as suave and succulent as pinot noir.” Joel B. Payne, Vinous “Bernard Baudry is, here and now, one of the leading domaines of the appellation. Some would say the leading domaine of the appellation. The wines are of exceptionally high quality...” Chris Kissack, The Wine Doctor "The entire wine range displays tender loving care and a light touch: the fruit shows excellent purity." Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous “This estate represents so much of what can be great in French wine today—a fantastic family, vineyards and winemaking worked by the owners, and obsessively terroir-specific drive to capture all of Chinon’s facets.” Parr & Mackay, The Sommelier’s Atlas of Taste The wines from this domaine—be it red, white, or rosé—have never been in better form, a testament to the family’s superb organic vineyard work and its exceptional collection of terroirs. And they don’t miss a beat in the cellar, where natural yeast fermentation and low sulphur additions hold sway over the more aggressive handling one can often encounter in Chinon. If you look past the threat of spring frost, the series of benign, warm vintages—specifically 2018-2020—have helped elevate this grower’s northern Cabernet Franc to new heights of silky, perfumed elegance and depth of flavour. Despite the current challenges posed by the changing climate, thanks to intensive artisanal farming practised, this grower’s vines are revelling in sunny benevolence. “I don’t have to drop as much fruit these days,” opines Baudry, “we’ve almost forgotten about those Cabernet Franc green pepper flavours. The textbooks might need to be updated.” At Chez Baudry, the 2020 vintage is all about freshness and balance. Not quite as rich as the two previous years, you’ll find lovely mouth-filling red fruit cut by vibrancy, chalky brightness and saline length. A joyful Loire vintage, Baudry style. Alongside the “good enough to eat” 2020 Les Grézeaux, today we offer this grower’s two benchmark cuvées, cropped from the limestone slopes rising from the Vienne River. For full information on Domaine Bernard Baudry and to see the full range, click here.