Wines of France / Loire Valley / Chinon / Domaine Baudry-Dutour

Baudry-Dutour – Chinon

Cravant-les-Coteaux, Chinon
​The Baudry family has owned the Domaine de la Perrière in Cravant-les-Coteaux (the principal village of the Chinon appellation) since 1398. Christophe Baudry is the current owner and the 6th generation of the domaine. In 1990 Christophe’s father, Jean Baudry--brother of highly reputed producer Bernard Baudry--handed him the reins of the domaine. Meanwhile, in 1993 Jean-Martin Dutour took over the winemaking duties at a neighboring Chinon domaine called Domaine de la Roncée. After developing a friendship over a decade, in 2003 these two highly respected vignerons decided to join forces at both domaines, subsequently buying two other châteaux in Chinon and releasing the wines from these 4 properties under the overarching Baudry-Dutour name.

Christophe is in charge of the business side of things, while Jean-Martin oversees work in the vineyards and wineries.  Both are committed to making great wines but at the same time reducing their environmental impact. Thus they farm their various Cabernet Franc parcels using the principles of lutte raisonée. 
 
These parcels are spread across the Chinon appellation, mostly on terraced vineyards with soils of ancient alluvium deposited by the long-ago course of the Vienne River. From the old vine parcels (called clos) they produce their ageable wines, wines that are vinified separately plot-by-plot, and then spend time in the domaine's barriques. However they also highly value their younger vine wines, which are vinified (again, each plot separately) and aged in all stainless steel and made with very little intervention to allow the pure fruit character of each plot to shine through.

​Baudry-Dutour Chinon “Amaranthe”
One of the domaine’s newer cuvees, coming from 20-year old vines at their Domaine du Roncée. The grapes are brought into the winery using gravity, then see a cold maceration followed by a rapid fermentation and aging in stainless steel. Its beautiful garnet-red color exactly mirrors that of the Amaranthe flowers that grow in the domaine's vineyards and are considered symbols of immortality. Its appealing, forward aromas and flavors of fresh red fruits with a hint of licorice make this the type of bottle that you want to slurp down, in the same way you might with juicy Beaujolais or Barbera.

​Domaine de la Roncée Chinon “Clos des Marroniers”
Clos des Marroniers represents 10 hectares of the Domaine du Roncée property, which Jean-Martin Dutour took over in 1993. This old-vine Cabernet Franc parcel was selected for the homogeneity of the siliceous-clayey soils from the old terraces of the Vienne River. The grapes are all hand-harvested, and 100% destemmed, before being brought by gravity into tank for a cold soak followed by fermentation. 50% is then aged in tank and 50% for 12 months in 2- to 5-year old barrels. It is a generous, charming wine with subtle aromas of the forest floor and truffle, as well as nice ripe dark fruit flavors. A nice match with fillet of duck.