2022 Domaine Charles Joguet Cuvee Terroir Chinon Loire Valley 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. That’s because the wine’s triad of violets, rose petals, and raspberry jam scents is immediately a dead giveaway for Cabernet Franc from this marquee Loire appellation.

And in a top vintage like 2022—Wine Spectator doesn’t think there’s been a better year in over two decades—Joguet’s calling-card bottling is everything we want out of Cabernet Franc, with a little extra oomph from the warm, easy growing season. 

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. Joguet 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, 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, treating each terroir as unique and vinifying accordingly.

Medium-ruby with a purple edge in the glass, 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 in an outstanding Loire vintage.