When I think of the producers whose wines I always want to have a large stash of on hand, Domaine Bernard Baudry tops the list. I can't think of many times when I don't want a bottle of Baudry Chinon on the table. Baudry wines do it all: early drinking deliciousness; profound age-worthiness; and always an unadorned reflection of Chinon's varied terroirs. This is a desert island domaine for me, a place I look not just for some of the best Cab Franc in the world, but also unflagging consistency. In 2018 and 2019, they went above and beyond, producing some of the best wines they've ever made.
Today, we're pleased to offer a selection of 2018 and 2019 releases, including their extremely rare rosé.
2018 may be one of the greatest vintages Chinon has ever seen. Matthieu says, “I have never seen such concentration and beauty as I have in 2018," and already deems it "in a class of its own." Although a warm year, the Baudrys hold prime parcels of gravel and limestone that maintain their acidity even when faced with high temperatures. "Les Grezeaux," from gravel soils, is always one of the best wines in the lineup but in 2018 soared to new heights, combining its classic elegance with serious depth and concentration. 2019 as well, was a fantastic, warm vintage, one in which the "entry-level" Chinon "Les Granges" turned into a wine worth cellaring for a decade, and one of the best values of the vintage.
The Baudry domaine is relatively young, having only been started by Bernard in 1975. Bernard established himself as a star of the appellation early on and has now passed the reigns onto his son, Matthieu. While Chinon is now considered one of the major red wine-producing regions of France, it wasn't always so. Bernard – along with his West Coast importer, Kermit Lynch – was instrumental in changing Chinon's reputation for producing inconsequential bistro wine into one of international renown. Bernard was one of the first to show that Cabernet Franc could be not just delicious and refreshing, but also reflective of its terroir and stunningly long-lived. When I visited the Baudrys in August 2019, a bottle from 1998 was vibrant and refreshing, with years ahead of it.
I cannot recommend the wines of Domaine Bernard Baudry enough. As the summer heat approaches, their rosé will be one of the first bottles I reach for, and a glass of chilled Baudry Chinon is about the best grilling wine I can think of.
Please see below for the lineup, as well as estimated ETAs.
To order, please click here. Shipping and curbside delivery available, as always. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to respond to this email or call us at (607) 319-0500.
Please note: "Les Grezeaux" is due to arrive in late June. All other wines arriving Friday, June 5th.
Extra discount of 10% off any mixed 6 and 15% off of any mixed 12 bottles!
1) Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Blanc 2018 750ml (24 Bottles Available)
Sale Price: $33.99/btl!! BUY NOW
6-Pack Discount Price: $30.59/btl!!
12-Pack Discount Price: $28.89/btl!!
The 2018 Baudry Blanc "Domaine" is from 5 to 15 year-old vines in several parcels on the clay/limestone slopes in and around Cravant. The grapes are hand-harvested of course and ferment with wild yeasts in 500 liter oak barrels. This is the best vintage we have tasted of the "Domaine" blanc, showing a bright pale gold/bronze color, with floral, chalky aromas of almond and pear. The chalk returns on the palate with bright citrus and white fruits, a supple, silky texture and good length.
2) Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Rosé 2019 750ml (24 Bottles Available)
Sale Price: $23.99/btl!! BUY NOW
6-Pack Discount Price: $21.59/btl!!
12-Pack Discount Price: $20.39/btl!!
This year's blend was 50% from clay/silex soils and 50% from gravel soils, as in "les Grézeaux." As always this is one of the most elegant and delicious of all French rosés, a reflection of the superb organic vineyard work and the great terroir possesed by the Baudrys as well as their great talent in vinifications with minimal or zero added SO2. This has gorgeous raspberry, strawberry and peach fruit backed by stone and mineral flavors and juicy acidity. Delicious now, this will drink beautifully over the next few years.
3) Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon "Les Granges" 2019 750ml
Sale Price: $24.99/btl!! BUY NOW
6-Pack Discount Price: $22.49/btl!!
12-Pack Discount Price: $21.24/btl!!
From 30 to 35 year-old vines on gravel and sandy soils with a bit of clay near the Vienne river in organic agriculture. Hand harvested, fermented with wild yeasts, ages for 8 to 10 months in cement vats, minimal addition of SO2 only prior to bottling. This "basic" cuvée from Bernard and Matthieu Baudry has gotten more and more "serious" as the vines age, giving a wine that is delightful to drink young, but that shows surprising complexity and mineral character as well. In the 2019 vintage, as with the 2018, the wine is a sheer delight! Tasted at the domain in January 2020, the wine showed a deep black color with bright purple rim with vibrant, lush aromas of cassis, blackberry and a bit of pepper, violet and cocoa. The palate is dense with deep sweet blackberry and raspberry fruit on the palate, with a hint of bitter chocolate, surprisingly bright and balanced given the extra ripeness of the vintage. This is a delicious Chinon to drink a bit cool over the next five to eight years - there should be a good quantity available but don't delay in trying this very special "basic" wine!
4) Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon "Les Grezeaux" 2018 750ml (48 Bottles Available)
PREORDER, ARRIVAL END OF JUNE
Sale Price: $32.99/btl!! BUY NOW
6-Pack Discount Price: $29.69/btl!!
12-Pack Discount Price: $28.04/btl!!
The nose is brimming with the scents of grilled black cherries and damsons, with a hint of reduction. The palate presents cool gravelly fruit again, fresh and sinewy, and yet with a silky texture to it. Pure and fresh, yet intense, voluminous, smoky and filled with dark fruits. This is a truly stunning Les Grézeaux, surely the best I have ever tasted. Great potential here, and a must-have for fans of Chinon and this domaine. Drink now or over the next 10-15 years.
Extra discount of 10% off any mixed 6 and 15% off of any mixed 12 bottles!
To order, please click here. Shipping and curbside delivery available, as always. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to respond to this email or call us at (607) 319-0500. |
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