2020 Domaine Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvee Terroir Loire 750 ml

Domaine Charles Joguet produces what is literally THE textbook Chinon.

Joguet’s Cuvée Terroir has been used for the tasting portion of the Masters of Wine exam because its triad of violets, rose petals, and raspberry jam scents is immediately a dead giveaway for Cabernet Franc from this marquee Loire appellation.

Medium ruby with a purple edge, this wonderfully aromatic wine has a nose full of florals and red fruit. The palate is packed with cherries, cranberries, and savory herbs, all mixed together with iron ore and crushed stones. With its medium body, delightfully crisp finish, and moderate tannins, it’s the definition of all-around classic Chinon.

Much of the prestige of the Chinon appellation today can be traced back to one man: Charles Joguet. A former painter and sculptor, he abandoned his artistic career to take over his family's domaine in 1957. He questioned the common practice of selling grapes to négociants, since he knew that his terroirs were so noble that they deserved to shine in domaine-specific bottlings. That way their exemplary character would never be lost to the anonymity of the blending vat.

Today, Joguet has retired. Kevin Fontaine, a young, talented, and enthusiastic winemaker, manages the vineyards and cellars. Fontaine and his team farm 36 hectares of Cabernet Franc and follow Joguet's ethos, bottling nine different cuvées—each terroir treated as unique and vinified accordingly.

Made from vines averaging 30 years of age, Cuvée Terroir is the outlier in the Joguet's lineup, blended from multiple sites and made to drink young and fresh. Try it with dishes as disparate as roast salmon with dill or rack of lamb with Fergus Henderson’s pungent green sauce.