Baudry-Dutour, 2022 Chinon Rosé 'Marie-Justine'

No.22 | What's In My Glass & Buying Recommendations

…and my Cabernet Franc rosé shopping list!

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Well, it seems as though the (early) summer weather has finally arrived to southern Ontario. While I do enjoy the odd bottle of Cabernet Franc rosé throughout the year, I will admit that there is nothing quite like that first glass of rosé when the sun is out and the whether has started to warm up.

As the arrival of new vintages can be unpredictable, I always hold back a handful of bottles of some of my favourites so I can open something as soon as the weather turns in rosé’s favour. In fact, I often prefer my Cabernet Franc rosé with a year in the bottle. Usually after a year, the wine’s baby fat and its early, sometimes slightly candied fruit notes can melt away to reveal a bit more personality, nuance and a sense of place.

Moreover, I really believe that rosé made with intention and purpose can age as well as many whites. While it might sound redundant, these rosés are made to be rosé, from vineyard to bottle, and this is not the case with all rosés. Many of my favourite Cabernet Franc rosés are those coming from the same parcels every year as the fruit from these blocks serve a purpose for rosé that would otherwise be less suitable for a red. What’s more, is the viticultural decisions carried out in these parcels throughout the season are made with rosé in mind, and when it comes time to harvest, the fruit is picked and processed for rosé (do I sound like a broken record yet?) and not as an after-thought or as a by-product from red winemaking. These are Cabernet Franc rosés made with intention and purpose.

I recently opened the 2022 Chinon Rosé from Baudry-Dutour, the cuvée Marie-Justine. I have been buying this rosé consistently for a few vintages now, and it is always a delightful drop. Coming from select parcels in Cravant-les-Côteaux and Panzoult the estate deems best suited for rosé, this cuvée made via direct press, vinified in stainless steel with brief aging on lees.

The wine exhibits an extremely classic profile on the nose that is fragrant, open with a bit more integration and nuance with a year in the bottle. Notes of tart white currant, underripe strawberry and rhubarb mingle with the fleshiness of honeydew melon and a bit of key lime zing. What makes Cabernet Franc such a glorious variety for rosé is its hallmark herbaceous edge, which can present in a number of way in rosé, but in this cuvée is shows delicate notes of Thai basil, chervil and tarragon. The palate is crisp, lively, clean with the slightest touch of tart creaminess on the middle palate reminiscent of yoghurt. The fruits and herbal undertones on the nose come through on the palate with added notes of white lilacs and a touch of white pepper on the finish. The wine is light, quaffable, with plenty of freshness, particularly given the warmer vintage. This is a very pretty rosé, with loads of life and energy, that reminds you ever-so-sweetly from start to finish that it is Cabernet Franc rosé with all of its lovely varietal character and structure.

This is the first official rosé post of the summer, and you can be rest assured that it won’t be the last. Cabernet Franc is the best grape for rosé - and if you have yet to find one that you like, I’ve got you covered with a few of my picks below!

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Other Cabernet Franc Rosés on my Shopping List for the Summer 2024:

• Olga Raffault, Chinon Rosé

• Bernard Baudry, Chinon Rosé

• Domaine Guiberteau, Saumur Rosé

• Thibaud Boudignon, Rosé de Loire (Anjou)

• Château de Minière, Bourgueil ‘Rosé de Minière’

• Yannick Amirault, Bourgueil ‘Rosé d’Equinoxe’

• Stratus Vineyards, Cabernet Franc Rosé, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

• Lamoreaux Landing, Dry Rosé, Finger Lakes, New York

• Sheldrake Point, Dry Rosé, Finger Lakes, New York

• Lieu-Dit, Rosé, Santa Barbara County, California

Who am I missing?! What are some of your favourite Cabernet Franc rosés? Recommendations welcome in the comments below!