2021 Domaine Bernard Baudry Le Domaine Chinon 750 ml

Bernard Baudry’s Chinons are the archetype for top-quality Cabernet Franc from the Loire. Aside from Clos Rougeard’s $200+ icons, it’s hard to think of wines from the Loire that deliver as consistently as Baudry... and Le Domaine is the perfect introduction to their genius.

This bottle combines depth, poise, and the perfect structure for drinking now. It’s grown on a single vineyard perched high above the town of Chinon. The highest and coolest of Baudry’s vineyards, the site is characterized by unique millarges soil—a mixture of sand, clay, and limestone that’s considered by locals to be perfect for Cabernet Franc. That combination of climate and soil gives the grapes a long hang-time, which allows them to develop striking flavor and explosive aromatics.

The Baudrys have farmed their vineyards organically since 2006, and their attention to detail shows through in every aspect of their winemaking process. They harvest by hand, carefully sort the grapes, then ferment them in concrete tanks to allow gentle oxidation without wood. The wines then age for over 15 months in a mixture of large oak and concrete tanks—all in the name of giving the wine a light polish before bottling.

While this is fantastic for drinking now, don’t hesitate to bury some bottles in your cellar and enjoy them over the next five to ten years. Baudry’s wines age exceptionally well, gaining nuance and smoothing out to a Pinot-like silkiness—they’re a treasure at any stage of maturity.