Charles Joguet, 2016 Chinon ‘Clos du Chêne Vert’
Cab Franc du Jour #77
Charles Joguet is one of Chinon’s most illustrious producers. Today the domaine is run by Anne-Charlotte Genet, daughter of Jacques Genet, who came on board as a business partner in the 1980s and later acquired the domaine from Charles when he retired in 1997. Anne-Charlotte is supported by winemaker Kevin Fontaine, and together they work 40 hectares of vines across several communes in the Chinon appellation. Today’s wine is the Clos du Chêne Vert, located in the commune of Chinon and arguably one of the domaine’s top wines, alongside Les Varennes du Grand Clos in the commune of Sazilly on the opposite side of the Vienne River.
The Commune of Chinon
Chinon is one of only two communes in the appellation with vineyards on both sides of the Vienne, the other being L’Île-Bouchard. On the south side of the river, a relatively small area of vines is concentrated about 1.5km from the Vienne, mostly at lower elevations on the river’s alluvial soils. On the north side, the commune stretches roughly 4km from north to south and about 6km from east to west, though vineyards are somewhat scattered around the village of Chinon and its surrounding hamlets.
The topography undulates considerably, with elevations ranging from around 40 to 100m above sea level and exposures in virtually every direction, all of which influence sun exposure and ripening. The predominant bedrock across the majority of vineyard sites in the commune is the Upper Turonian yellow tuffeau chalk, and it is this concentration of yellow tuffeau that accounts for the high density of celebrated vineyard sites found here. Topsoil depth and texture vary widely across the commune, with some sites having very shallow profiles and others carrying deeper soils with more clay or gravel influence in the subsoil, all of which plays a significant role in shaping the character of the wines.
Clos du Chêne Vert
The wine comes from a 2-hectare clos within the larger lieu-dit of Le Chêne Vert, which covers about 6 hectares in total. The site is located roughly 1km east of the outer limits of the Chinon village, just north of the hamlet of L’Olive, on a rather steep southwest-facing slope of around 20% grade, providing the benefit of strong afternoon sunshine. Elevations run from 72 to 88m above sea level, and the Chinon fortress is visible in the distance from within the vineyard.
What makes this clos particularly memorable is the presence at the top of the slope of an 800-year-old holm oak tree, planted by the monks of Bourgueil in the 12th century and a living marker of this vineyard’s ancient significance. The site was continuously planted to vine for nearly 1,000 years before phylloxera, after which it was largely abandoned until Charles Joguet purchased it in 1976 for around 4,800 francs, roughly $1,000 USD at the time. He began replanting in the same year, and the vines today average around 40 years of age.
Because of its southwest aspect and position, Clos du Chêne Vert is generally among the first sites harvested by the domaine, typically 10 to 12 days ahead of Les Varennes du Grand Clos in Sazilly. The topsoil is only 50 to 70cm deep, with a silty-clay texture before the tuffeau chalk is reached. The slope makes the site sensitive to erosion, and the domaine has invested considerable effort in soil regeneration work to address this. Yields are naturally low at around 30 hl/ha, a consequence of the free-draining nature of the soils and the high active limestone content, which restricts nutrient uptake.
In the Cellar
The fruit is hand-picked and fully destemmed. Fermentation takes place in large wooden vats with indigenous yeast, with a relatively extended skin contact of approximately four weeks and regular pump-overs and punchdowns throughout. Élevage follows in one to three year old oak barrels for around 18 months before bottling.
Wine Details
Producer: Charles Joguet
Appellation: Chinon
Commune: Chinon
Lieu-Dit: Le Chêne Vert
Soil: 50-70cm of silty-clay topsoil, atop Upper Turonian tuffeau chalk bedrock
Alcohol: 13.0%