In Chinon with Matthieu Baudry - August 2008

The third and final of my three visits to Loire vignerons would be at Domaine Bernard Baudry in Chinon. After leaving Olivier Lemasson, I toured parts of the Loire and arrived in Chinon in the early evening. After checking in to the two star Le Lion d’Or Hotel, I took a walk around the compact village scouting out a place to dine. After spending the last few days in tiny villages, Chinon (8,712 pop.) seems downright metropolitan.

Eventually, I chose Au Chapeau Rouge, a charming restaurant with an authentic Loire menu on a small, quiet square. I had the mid-range €38 menu Saveurs which started with medallions of jellied and smoked eel, a specialty of the region. The main course was a perfectly cooked fillet of bar (sea bass) over mixed steamed vegetables and potato with a delicate saffron sauce. The meal concluded with a selection of Loire goat cheeses and a dessert that featured different peach preparations. The wine was a Plouzeau Bonneliere Chinon, of course. Excellent dinner. Over the last two weeks I have been gorging myself on mostly German food, so it was nice to have an elegant meal. After a pleasant walk about town, I turn in.

The next morning, August 27, I wander out for a quick pain au chocolate and café before driving a couple miles to the Baudry home. The patriarch, Bernard is out of town so I am met by his hospitable son Matthieu who is also heavily involved in the winemaking.

The entrance to Domaine Baudry.

Domaine Baudry is in a walled and gated compound just outside the village. Early into our tasting we are joined by a couple visiting from Montreal, Quebec. This couple is very fortunate, as they will be sampling more than they expected.

The Loire Valley’s best known red wines are made from cabernet franc and Chinon is the most recognizable name. Baudry offers five bottlings of cabernet franc from a manageable 30 hectares (72 acres), 60% situated in the valley by the river and 40% on hillsides. There is the youthful Le Grange made from vineyards on the sandy valley soil. Their Le Domaine offers a more complex yet approachable blend of older valley vines with 30%-40% from the hillside vines.

Les Grezeaux comes from the oldest vines on gravel from the foothills between the sandy valley and clay-laden hillside. A more full-bodied and dense style that is tight when young, but ages well.

Le Clos Guillot comes from vines of ten to seventeen years old and are on the hillside which is clay over limestone. The wine is more concentrated, but with a bright, fresh, red fruit profile.


Here is an example of the Chinonais landscape from an adjacent property.
Here you have the lower valley floor vineyards on the bottom,
then the foothill bench, followed by the hillsides on top.


Finally, La Croix Boisée is their most serious wine for aging. Also from the clay over limestone hillside vineyards and from vines up to 40 years old. At about thirty days, the fermentation is around twice as long as the others and a bit longer in the barrel to tame the firm tannins. Like all of Baudry’s wines, the aging comes from used barrels to mellow the wine without imparting the taste of wood.

Back in the tasting room we taste through a 2005 Grezeaux, a 2006 La Croix Boisée, a 2007 Les Grange, a 2006 Le Domaine, and a 2006 Clos Guillot.

Next, Matthieu takes us to the tank room, situated in a modern climate controlled building. Instead of the usual stainless steel tanks, there is a row of about four or five newer wood fermentation vats opposing a uniform line up of sleek, sealed concrete tanks enrobed in crimson. They are empty right now, but will be in use within weeks for the upcoming harvest.

Seemingly out of place and sitting next to one of the concrete tanks is a single cylinder inox tank that is used to make their miniscule quantity of chenin blanc. I asked for a taste as I was not even aware they made any and it was delicious. Supple, smooth and a balanced essence of peach and apricot fruit with a hint of beeswax made in a style that offered just a trace of off-dry character. We also tasted a 2007 La Croix Boisée from the barrel awaiting to be bottled.


The entrance to the Baudry cave built into the hillside next to their compound.

The finale is a tour of the adjacent cave built into the limestone hillside. The cave is full of dusty unlabeled bottles. Matthieu grabs a couple bottles to open just outside on a barrel used as a table. First is a 2002 La Croix Boisée which showed subtle, fresh, floral scents dominating over a layer dried flowers with earthy red berry fruits and a remarkable, gentle texture. This was followed by a 1989 Les Grezeaux which showed a bricky color with a light rim in the glass. Dried flora and red fruits, hints of green bean aroma, but still ripe. Elegant acid – not flabby. Earthy mineral flavors over dried red fruit with a rich texture.


Stored bottles in the cave.


After a round or two of re-tasting and conversation with Matthieu and the Canadian couple, I part company to see one of the other neighboring cab franc villages, Bourgueil.

Matthieu Baudry pouring the '89 Les Grezeaux.