A mature Cabernet Franc from Chinon in the Loire Valley: certified organic, vinified from a single vineyard site on sandy-clay and gravelly soils over limestone – dry, powerful and transparent in the house style.
Bright garnet red with a brick-red rim – early maturity is beginning to show at the edge of the glass.
Nose
Dark, juicy berry fruit meets fresh foliage, fine herbal notes, ink, liquorice and a hint of crushed chalk.
Palate
Vibrantly fresh acidity, crisp red and black berries alongside dark cherry; the tannins still feel youthful yet are already beginning to melt – powerful while remaining remarkably translucent in structure.
Character
An elegant, profound Chinon with an earthy core and fine structure – not a wine for immediate drinking, but one for the patient, gaining increasing complexity when served in a Burgundy glass.
Pairing
Herb-crusted rack of lamb, duck breast with red wine jus or aged goat’s cheese from the Loire region.
Notes
Parcel-specific vinification following the Burgundian model – the hallmark with which Charles Joguet revolutionised Chinon. Certified organic since 2016, fermentation on the skins in wooden vats and 15–16 months’ maturation in French oak shape this wine, sourced in part from vines several decades old.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Bright garnet red with an initial hint of brick at the rim – a wine that is leaving its youth behind without losing any of its freshness.
Nose
Elegant and multi-layered: dark yet juicy-fresh berry fruit, accompanied by fresh foliage, a fine pyrazine note, ink and liquorice, as well as the cool resonance of crushed limestone.
Palate
A vibrantly lively acidity carries crisp fruit that shifts between red and black berries, with a touch of dark cherry. The tannins still feel youthful but are already beginning to melt. There is plenty of power, yet everything remains transparent and precisely delineated.
Finish
Juicy, earthy-mineral and lingering with fine spice – a finale that makes you eager for the next glass and for further bottle ageing.
Terroir & origin
The plot lies between the left bank of the Vienne and the Clos de la Dioterie. The flat vineyard rests on sandy-clay soils, partly gravelly, over limestone. The vines were replanted between 1962 and 1976, with some parcels around 40 years older. Since 2016, the entire estate has been organically certified.
Grape variety & vinification
Pure Cabernet Franc, vinified parcel by parcel – the approach with which Charles Joguet reinvented the Chinon appellation in 1957 along Burgundian lines. After a cool pre-fermentation maceration, the must ferments for four weeks in wooden vats; malolactic fermentation takes place in cask. Maturation lasts 15 to 16 months in French oak (around one fifth new barrels), followed by six months in tank.
Food recommendations
An inspired partner at the table for herb-crusted leg of lamb, pan-roasted duck breast, beef fillet in mushroom jus or aged goat’s cheese from the Loire. Also an excellent choice with lentil dishes and mushroom ragout.
Special features
In 2020, Michel Bettane named the Domaine the finest estate in Chinon. The wines mature in hand-carved tuffeau cellars at near-constant temperatures. With age, this Chinon develops notes of redcurrant and blackcurrant – a wine for the patient, yet one that already offers great pleasure today.
