Charles Joguet, 2008 Chinon 'Les Varennes du Grand Clos'
Cab Franc du Jour #46
Today we are exploring one of Charles Joguet’s left bank wines, Les Varennes du Grand Clos, and from an older vintage at that. This may be the first of a few older bottles we examine over the coming weeks. I find myself in a perpetual state of reflection lately, a big birthday approaching, and I always tend to get a little pensive in the days leading up to it. Thinking about aging, the passing of time, the accomplishments and missteps of the years behind, and what I want to make of the year ahead. Anyway, let’s get into the wine.
The Vineyard
Les Varennes du Grand Clos is one of two Joguet home vineyards in the commune of Sazilly, the other being the Clos de la Dioterie, of which Les Varennes is a natural extension. The 4.5-hectare vineyard was purchased by Charles Joguet in 1962 and slopes gently to the north and northeast, sitting less than a kilometre from the Vienne River. The vineyard was partially replanted in 1962 and again in 1976, with the remaining block likely dating to the 1920s.
The bedrock is Lower Turonian tuffeau chalk, an argillaceous chalk, meaning a chalk with a higher clay content similar to marl, with silica minerals and trace iron minerals present as well. The topsoil varies across the slope, with more siliceous clay at the top transitioning to a gravier, sandier profile toward the foot.
The 2008 Vintage
A spring frost in April set the tone for a challenging year, and the summer was cool and wet. A warm and dry September rescued the vintage, though yields came in slightly lower than average and harvest began later than usual. Most accounts of the 2008 vintage in Chinon point to wines with good potential for longer-term aging, underpinned by strong natural acidity and structure.
In the Cellar
The fruit was 100% destemmed and underwent a relatively extended cold soak of approximately 10 days before fermentation began. The wine spent about four weeks on skins in total before aging in neutral French oak barrels.
Wine Details
Producer: Charles Joguet
Appellation: Chinon
Commune: Sazilly
Lieu-Dit: Les Varennes du Grand Clos
Soil: Argillaceous chalk bedrock with siliceous clay and sandy-gravelly topsoils
Alcohol: 13%