Bernard Baudry Chinon AOC 'Les Grézeaux' 2022

Fresh out of wine school in Beaune in 1982, Bernard Baudry began with two hectares in Cravant-lés-Coteaux, gradually building it to its current 32 hectares. 90% of his estate is planted to cabernet franc, with the other 10% devoted to chenin blanc. Bernard's son, Mathieu, who has assisted his father since 2000, finally took over the reins upon Bernard's retirement, continuing to produce standard-setting wines in Chinon. The estate has been certified organic since 2006 but farmed without chemicals and with homemade compost for far longer than that. Baudry's wines are renowned for precision, concentration, and texture, and are arguably among the finest of the region. The Les Grézeaux cuvée comes from Baudry's oldest vines, 60-70 years old, planted on sandy, gravelly clay soils at the bottom of the hill of Sonnay in the village of Cravant. Hand harvested fruit is fermented with wild yeasts with zero sulfur added during vinification, and the wine then ages in slightly porous large cement vats. ‘Les Grézeaux’ is known for its delightful silky texture and immediately drinkable freshness, but has the ability to age for a decade or more (if you can resist drinking it now). Deep inky red in color (‘jus de viande” according to Matthieu), this 100% cabernet franc displays lovely dense layers of red and black fruit while a dash of classic green pepper and a hint of bay leaf dance around a luxuriously ripe palate that also somehow manages to remain astonishingly fresh and lively. Fine-grained tannins wrap up this elegant wine that embodies the best of Chinon. Certified organic, low-intervention/natural wine, vegan.