2021 Chinon, Le Clos Guillot, Bernard Baudry, Loire

2021 Chinon, Le Clos Guillot, Bernard Baudry, Loire

Product: 20218147912
Prices start from £40.00 per bottle (75cl). Buying options
2021 Chinon, Le Clos Guillot, Bernard Baudry, Loire

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Description

Le Clos Guillot is seriously refined. Having an almost Burgundy vibe. Aromas of sour cherries and black fruit, It has length and freshness. This is a serious wine that will comfortably age well but in just a handful of years will be wonderfully expressive.

Daniel Martin, Private Client Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

wine at a glance

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About this WINE

Bernard Baudry

Bernard Baudry

Bernard Baudry is widely respected for producing exceptional Cabernet Franc wines in the Chinon appellation of the Loire Valley. After studying oenology in Beaune and gaining experience as a consultant oenologist, Bernard Baudry established his own domaine in 1975. Starting with just a few hectares of vines, the estate has since grown to approximately 30 hectares, with vineyards strategically located across diverse soils, including gravel, clay-limestone, and sandy terroirs, which provide the foundation for his wide-ranging, expressive wines.

Domaine Bernard Baudry's philosophy emphasises low intervention and organic viticulture. In the vineyard, Baudry and his son, Matthieu, who joined the estate in 2000, practise organic farming methods to enhance the health and vitality of the vines. Their approach is based on a deep respect for the environment, employing techniques that balance the soil and the vines, avoiding chemical treatments, and promoting biodiversity. In the cellar, they rely on natural fermentation with native yeasts and minimal sulphur usage.

Bernard Baudry’s wines are highly regarded for their elegance, structure, and ageing potential. Focusing on producing distinct wines from each vineyard parcel, the Baudrys create a range of Cabernet Francs, from lighter, fruit-driven styles to more structured and complex cuvées that can age for years. Their work continues to shape the perception of Chinon wines, with a balance of tradition and innovation at the heart of their winemaking.

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Chinon

Chinon

Chinon is an important  appellation for the Cabernet Franc grape, located within the Touraine wine region just to the west of Tours. At approximately 2,500 hectares, it represents a slightly larger zone than its neighbour Bourgueil. Part of the appellation, closest to its other voisin St Nicolas de Bourgueil, possesses light, sandy gravel soils to give an easy drinking style, while the remainder is blessed with a tuffeau subsoil from which the wines draw a finer structure and longevity. Neither style approaches the fullness of Bourgueil however.

 

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Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc is widely planted in Bordeaux and is the most important black grape grown in the Loire. In the Médoc it may constitute up to 15% of a typical vineyard - it is always blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and is used to add bouquet and complexity to the wines. It is more widely used in St.Emilion where it adapts well to the cooler and moister clay soils - Cheval Blanc is the most famous Cabernet Franc wine in the world, with the final blend consisting of up to 65% of the grape.

Cabernet Franc thrives in the Loire where the cooler growing conditions serve to accentuate the grape's herbaceous, grassy, lead pencil aromas. The best wines come from the tuffeaux limestone slopes of Chinon and Bourgeil where growers such as Jacky Blot produce intense well-structured wines that possess excellent cellaring potential.

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When is a wine ready to drink?

We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.

Not ready

These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.

Ready - youthful

These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.

Ready - at best

These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.

Ready - mature

These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.