Beatrice & Pascal Lambert, 2022 Chinon "Les Terrasses"

No.37 | What's In My Glass

As a continuation of my exploration of some of the current releases from the 2022 vintage in the Loire, earlier this week I opened Beatrice and Pascal Lambert’s 2022 Chinon “Les Terrasses,” which is a wine I have typically enjoyed without giving it much thought (mostly because of its pure deliciousness) so with my brain hyper focused on the 2022s, it was worth giving this wine a bit more thought than usual.

Based in Cravant-les-Côteaux, I had the pleasure of visiting the domaine for the first time in May 2022, and have tasted their range on a few occasions since at various events in the Loire. The family produces a thoughtful range of terroir-focused wines from their parcels in Cravant and Chinon, with a strong emphasis on cuvées parcellaires to showcase the diversity of the region’s terroirs, including La Croix Boissée and Les Puys highlighting the Middle Turonian white and Upper Turonian yellow tuffeau chalks respectively, Les Perruches and Le Chêne Vert from parcels on clays with silex (flint), and also “Les Terrasses” from some of their parcels on the alluvial terrace close to the Vienne.

With a strong focus on biodynamic viticulture and winemaking, the family also successfully blends modern and more traditional techniques in the vineyard and cellar, and is not afraid to experiment with more atypical expressions from the region, such as their traditional method sparkling rosé from Cabernet Franc and a skin-contact white blend of Chenin Blanc and Pinot Gris that sees six months maceration in amphora.

“Les Terrasses” represents their early-drinking example from Chinon and is classically produced in concrete with 15 days on skins with minimal extraction techniques in an effort to achieve a soft, approachable mouthfeel, and the cuvée is bottled relatively early to preserve its youthful, forward-forward profile.

In the glass, the 2022 opens with a clean, plush, dark-fruited nose with nice depth and character. It is fruit-forward on the nose and palate, but not too fruity, with a terrific balance of earth and spice. Notes of black raspberry compote, wild blueberry, and blackcurrant are complemented by a touch of pepperiness, classic herbal notes of thyme and tarragon, coupled with layers of cedar leaves and moss, finishing with a nicely spiced finish with notes of allspice, nutmeg and chilli flake. The aromatic and flavour profiles tick all the boxes that I love in a great, early-drinking Chinon, with a bit of added dimension and layers.

The palate offers up lifted, cleansing acidity, with a certain degree of softness that hints at riper fruit and a warmer vintage, but still remains fresh and in balance. The tannins are velvety and supple, with a pleasant firmness through the middle palate and a slightly chalky finish. Round, lush, medium-bodied, and approachable, this is a complete, textbook Chinon from the alluvial terrace with a bit more concentration and structure than what one would typically expect from an 'early-drinking' example from this particular part of the appellation. It is drinking fabulously at the moment, and no doubt will continue to deliver pleasure over the medium term.

What I particularly appreciate about this cuvée, regardless of the vintage, is it always seems to have a certain degree of polish and precision, and you sense there is a strong attention to detail when it comes to their approach to viticulture and also picking decisions that is gives the finished wine a smidge more phenolic ripeness and balanced aromatics, while still feeling extremely authentic and classic to the region. I think this contemporary-leaning profile would certainly appeal to some of those people that would have previously signed off on the wines from Chinon for being “green” or “rustic,” while still delivering all the joys that lovers of this region and its wines have come to embrace. If you are one of the former, this might be a cuvée to seek out to reintroduce yourself to the wines of Chinon, and if you fall into the latter camp, then time to stock the cellar as this will be a delightful wine to enjoy as the weather turns cooler and we start to crave fall flavours and warming reds. No matter who you are, it’s a win-win!