Organic. 100% Cabernet Franc. The Clos Guillot vineyard is situated on a southeast-facing slope in Chinon with soils of clay, chalk and yellow limestone (known locally as tuffeau). Baudry’s vines here—situated very close to Le Chêne Vert, the vineyard made famous by Charles Joguet—were planted between 1993 and 2000. Unusually, this vineyard also includes a small parcel of the domaine’s remaining ungrafted vines which used to go to Baudry’s now retired (and much missed) Franc de Pied cuvée. Today these vines are blended into Le Clos Guillot.
Harvesting is by hand and yields never exceed 40 hl/ha. Fermentation takes place in large wooden fermenters with regular pigéage (with the aim of providing gentle extraction of supple tannins). After a maceration of about 20 days, the wine is pressed off and then matured for 12 months in oak barrels that have seen two or three vintages, followed by nine months in cement. Bottled without filtration.
Matthieu Baudry describes Le Clos Guillot as a “very pure expression of Chinon.” It’s usually the most ‘Pinot’ Chinon in the range, and, true to form, the 2020 is overflowing with athletic fruit, clarity and poise. The note below captures another top-drawer performance from a great vineyard.