Bernard Baudry, 2023 Chinon Rosé
No.32 | What's In My Glass
Earlier this week, Southern Ontario experienced a bit of a cold snap where morning lows hovered near single digit temperatures. It was an all too bleak reminder that summer is slowly coming to a close, and that fall and colder temperatures will begin to creep in sooner rather than later.
When the sun eventually came out and temperatures returned to what are more typical of late August, I didn’t spare a second to put a bottle of Bernard Baudry’s 2023 Chinon Rosé in the fridge since I hadn’t yet found an opportunity to taste it since purchasing a few bottles back in late July. (In my defence, late July feels like it was yesterday, and now, all of a sudden, next weekend is Labour Day weekend marking summer’s “unofficial” end… where on earth does the time go?!)
This is a rosé that I have bought consistently over the years, and I always make sure to hold back a bottle or two to see how it does with a little bit of age. And remarkably, this wine does fare well if stored in a cool, dark place, developing some complexities and additional layers with time. And you can bet I’m going to tuck a couple of the 2023 away because this might be my favourite vintage of this rosé is in recent years.
Not the easiest vintage for rosé (or anything for that matter), but for those that were vigilant in the vineyard and employed meticulous sorting in the cellar, this was a terrific vintage for rosé, offering more elevated acidities than 2022 but with good maturities and phenolic development. The domaine typically sources the fruit for the rosé from their parcels on the upper alluvial terraces in Chinon where we find deep, aeolian sands. These are the parcels the domaine designates for rosé every year, and their techniques in the vineyard throughout the year reflect this decision (that is to say this is a purposeful rosé, rather than an afterthought). In the cellar, the rosé made by direct press, fermented in concrete, and Matthieu typically leaves the wine on the fine lees for a few months before bottling to enhance the overall texture and balance.
Out of the gate, the 2023 Rosé offers up a compelling perfume of orchard fruits and a cornucopia of florals notes - it is as if you walked into a florist and are hit with a wall of freesias, roses, peonies, lilacs and more. These florals mix with notes of honeydew melon, white peach, white raspberry and Rainer cherry - a fruit profile I’ve found to be consistent with previous vintages of this rosé. The fruits and florals continue on the palate with added herbal undertones reminiscent of fennel fronds, bee pollen and chervil, and even a touch of spice (pink peppercorn, nutmeg). The acidity is bright and crispy, and yields to a fleshy textural mid-palate with a hint of creaminess, and a lovely saline note that rounds out the finish. Jovial, delightfully intriguing, focused, gastronomic. If I worked in a restaurant, I think this wine would work remarkably well as part of a tasting menu, perhaps paired with a crudo of some kind using sea bream or hamachi, adorned with pickled rhubarb, micro basil and other accoutrements. At home, I think this would be terrific with take out sushi or sashimi, or if that isn’t your thing, consider pairing this with a classic heirloom tomato and peach panzanella salad or this farro salad topped with grilled shrimp. Delicious!
Ha! I lack the discipline. But I'll take it under advisement.
Gotta be my favorite Rosé! And the same goes for everyone else who’s shared a bottle of it with me.😁