2014 Charles Joguet Clos du Chêne Vert Chinon
WINEMAKER: Kevin Fontaine
VARIETAL: Cabernet Franc
REGION: Loire Valley, FR
VITICULTURE: Organic
ICONIC.
"One of the appellation’s oldest documented vineyard sites, this mythical parcel is responsible for the boldest, most age-worthy wine in the Joguet cellars. Chêne Vert’s tuffeau limestone soil and extended aging in barrel without filtration yield this deep, chewy, brooding beast of a Chinon. The domaine claims that Chêne Vert begins to open up after the ten-year mark, but if you choose to pull the cork sooner, I suggest roasted game, leg of lamb, a rich braise, or wild mushrooms to achieve optimal harmony." - Anthony Lynch
A young Charles Joguet abandoned a budding career as a painter and sculpture to assume direction of the family domaine in 1957, after beginning to question the common practice of selling grapes to negociants - as his own family had done for years. The Joguets owned prime vineyard land in between the Loire and Vienne Rivers, just outside Chinon, in Sazilly. These very lieux-dits had been recognised for their character and defined before the Renaissance - some even date back to the Middle Ages. Variations in the soils of these alluvial plains were substantial enough for Charles to realise that he was sitting on what would be considered in other regions as premier cru and grand cru vineyards.