Bernard Baudry, 2017 Chinon 'Les Granges'
Cab Franc du Jour #7
The story behind Domaine Bernard Baudry is not your typical multi-generation European wine family narrative. Bernard Baudry was the son of a winemaker, but the family did not own any vines. He chose the path of the vine as his career, went to Beaune to study winemaking, and then returned to the Loire, purchasing his first two hectares in the Chinon appellation in 1975, specifically in the commune of Cravant-les-Côteaux. The estate has since grown to around 32 hectares, and Bernard’s son Matthieu joined in 2000.
Les Granges is the estate’s largest production wine, with nine hectares in this particular lieu-dit. The vines were planted between 1985 and 1988, and the parcels are farmed organically. What is interesting about Les Granges is its location on the alluvial plains very close to the Vienne River. The soils here are considerably sandier with a little gravel, and the topsoil is much deeper than what you find as you move further inland into the appellation, contributing to a little more natural fertility. The wine was made in cement with no wood aging.
On the nose, it is immediately all about the earthiness. There is a lovely fruit component, a nice tart red fruit quality, but this wine is really about the bell pepper, the herbs, and that classic sous bois quality, a sense of forest floor and undergrowth that I find absolutely captivating. The acidity is lively and fresh, the tannins are soft and supple, and the wine is wonderfully versatile at the table, equally at home with different proteins, vegetable dishes, and even some fish. It is a charming, companionable wine, the kind you want to be drinking in a bistro across from someone you love, over a comforting, homey meal. It is not complicated, but sometimes that is the real joy of Cabernet Franc: the beauty in its simplicity and ease.
Wine Details
Producer: Bernard Baudry
Appellation: Chinon
Communes: Cravant-les-Côteaux
Lieu-Dit: Les Granges
Soils: Alluvial sand and gravel
Alcohol: 12.5%