Charles Joguet

Philosopher, poet, sculptor and vigneron Charles Joguet is a living legend in the Loire. He became a winemaker at his family’s Domaine in 1957. 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 Charles’s 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 Genets 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 continue to produce some of the best wines from the Loire in Joguet’s name. Organically farmed, the estate extends over 30 hectares planted with Cabernet Franc and two hectares with Chenin Blanc. The top cuvée is the Clos de la Dioterie – the product of 80-year-old Cabernet Franc vines, displaying an intensity and concentration of fruit which is unrivalled in the region.