December 2023
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Chinon covers 26 communes in the Indre-et-Loire administrative department. The region lies at the western end of the department, clustered for a radius of roughly 20km (12 miles) around Chinon town, on the southern (right) bank of the Loire river as it flows east to west. Both the gravel-sand and clay-sand soils close to the banks of the Loire generate lighter, fresher styles, while those hillside sites rich in the local "tuffeau jaune" produce more full-bodied darker, richer, spicier wines with more cellaring potential.
Viticulture in the Chinon region likely dates back to the gallo-roman era with Chinon's position on the Vienne river, just upstream from its confluence with the Loire, making it a prime trading post.
The first known mention of wine in the region dates back to the 11th Century, when the biography of Saint Mexme, a local figure, references a landholder in Chinon who decides to take his wine by boat to Nantes in a bid to get a better price for it.
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.
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.
Viticulture in the Chinon region likely dates back to the gallo-roman era with Chinon's position on the Vienne river, just upstream from its confluence with the Loire, making it a prime trading post.
The first known mention of wine in the region dates back to the 11th Century, when the biography of Saint Mexme, a local figure, references a landholder in Chinon who decides to take his wine by boat to Nantes in a bid to get a better price for it.
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.
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.
