Charles Joguet

Philosopher, poet, sculptor, and vigneron Charles Joguet is a living legend in the Loire. In 1957, he became a winemaker at the family domaine. Showcasing his considerable talents, he quickly became the modern pioneer of Chinon by producing some of the finest wines in the appellation. It is fitting that the wry smile of Chinon's most famous son, François Rabelais, should adorn his bottles.

Based on the left bank of the River Vienne in Sazily, Joguet was the first vigneron in the region to produce single-vineyard cuvées. In 1985, Charles joined forces with the Genet family to expand the estate. In 1997, the Genet family officially took over the domaine as Charles wanted to dedicate his time to his other passion, painting.

Since 2006, Anne-Charlotte Genet and winemaker Kevin Fontaine have run the estate and continued entrenching the Joguet name as some of the best wines from the Loire region. Organically farmed, the estate spans over 30 hectares planted with Cabernet Franc and two hectares with Chenin Blanc. Their top cuvées are the Clos de la Dioterie and Clos du Chêne Vert – the latter the product of 80-year-old Cabernet Franc vines, displaying an intensity and concentration of fruit, unrivalled in the region.