Baudry, Domaine Bernard

While Domaine Bernard Baudry is a relatively young Chinon estate, it is certainly one of the stars of the appellation. Bernard began in 1975 with 2 hectares in Cravant-lès-Coteaux and proceeded to build it to its current 32 hectares—90% of which is Cabernet Franc plus 10% Chenin Blanc—slowly but surely. Though Bernard has retired and allowed his son Matthieu, who began working at his side in 2000, to assume the lead role, together they continue to make wines which set the standard in Chinon. They are utterly committed to capturing the purest possible expression of their varied terroirs via their Cabernet Franc wines (as well as two Chenins).

The estate has been certified organic since 2006 but has been farmed without chemicals and with homemade compost and with active working of the soils for much longer than that.  The fruit is all from the estate, is hand-harvested, destemmed, moved only by gravity; fermented with indigenous yeasts in cement tank; aged in a mix of cement tank and used barriques; never punched down; touched with very little sulfur; and bottled without filtration. Their wines are noted for exquisite precision, concentration and texture and are unquestionably among the finest and most expressive of the Chinon appellation.