What are the best Chinon vintages and top domaines?

Produced in the Indre-et-Loire department, the Chinon wines shave a temperate climate, which is particularly good for Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon.

 

The great wines of Chinon

All three colors are produced, with a large majority of reds, representing 85%, followed by 13% of rosés, and finally 2% of whites. The reds are rather round and light, with notes of red fruits such as raspberries and spices. Rosés are also highly aromatic, supple and ideal for accompanying aperitifs or meats. As for the whites, depending on their soils, they are very full-bodied and mineral, with a hint of juicy white fruit.

Rather known for their "pleasure" wines, some estates are making a name for themselves, offering Chinon with lots of personality, character and great ageing potential.

> Great Loire wines at the best price

 

What is a great vintage?

 

There can be no great wine without a great vintage! A great vintage must bring together all the perfect climatic conditions to produce a great wine.

The buds must come out evenly in the vines so that there are no disparities at harvest time. The presence of sunshine is of course essential, but it must not be excessive, so as to leave room for a few rains and avoid water stress, which would lead the vines to neglect the ripening of the grapes. If all these parameters are met, the vine can mature slowly.

In Chinon, several vintages have been blessed with perfect weather conditions, enabling them to produce very well-balanced, complex, long-keeping wines.

Here are some of the great vintages produced in AOC Chinon over the last 30 years:

2005, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2010, 2015, 2016

 

What are the biggest estates in Chinon?

Here is a non-exhaustive list of the great Chinon estates

 

• Philippe Alliet Estate

Owned by Philippe and his wife Claude, and now assisted by their son Pierre, Maison Alliet has been producing wines since 1978. Today owner of 17 hectares, the domaine produces all three colors, but it's the reds that make their reputation. After several months' ageing in vats, the wines are transferred to barrel for 12 months to give them a backbone. Freshness, uprightness and precision characterize Philippe Alliet's wines.

 

• Charles Joguet

Since its creation in 1957, the Charles Joguet estate has been in perpetual search of terroir expression. Owning 40 hectares on a variety of terroirs, it offers infinite possibilities for blending and experimentation. Hand-harvesting, sorting in the winery, and ageing in demi-muids to avoid over-maturing the wines in wood, all these practices make the domaine a sure bet in the Chinon appellation.

 

• Bernard Baudry

The estate was founded in 1975 with just 2 hectares of vines, then expanded in 1982 to reach 30 hectares under organic conversion. The Cabernet grapes are planted on soils rich in limestone and pebbles. This gives his wines great intensity and depth.

 

• Couly Dutheil

Founded in 1921 by Baptiste Dutheil, then run by René Couly, and still under family management as Arnaud and his father Jacques Couly. Today, the domaine vinifies 120 hectares of vines, 90 of which are owned. The entire vineyard is managed using sustainable viticulture methods. One of the estate's legendary cuvées is "Clos de L'Echo", aged for over 18 months. The Cabernet reveals itself after around ten years, giving way to a remarkable minerality.

> Couly Dutheil from the estate

 

• Domaine Grosbois

Maison Familiale, globetrotter Nicolas Grosbois took over management of the estate in 2008.

Today, he manages a 9-hectare biodynamic estate, and ages his red wines for 12 months.

The wines are very fruity, with black fruits, spices and licorice.

 

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