2009 Baudry Les Grezeaux, Chinon

I love this Baudry cuvee, the most rustic and ironically the least expensive of the famed Baudry cuvees. In great years, this wine exudes a rustic class and charm that is intoxicating. The 2010 bottling is about as good of a Baudry as I have had for my palate. The 2009 is gorgeous in its own right, but also clearly a product of what seems to be a warmer vintage for Loire Chinons (PS. I do not know for a fact that '09 was warmer, that’s just my assessment of the characteristics of the '09s and '10s I have tried).

This 2009 Les Grezeaux throws less vegetal, leafy, ashy goodness than the 2010, but the attraction is the crystalline pure fruit. Crunchy red fruits, great acid. Like biting into a luscious green apple, sweet and tart all at the same time. Still relatively primary, even the nose a bit reticent, finishing with firm tannins. Check back in 3 years, but trust me, after enduring a 2010 Clos St Jean VV CDP last night at 16% ABV, this wine is exactly what I needed. Very refreshing, satisfying, food-friendly wine.

Its the middle of the pack price wise, Les Granges and Domaine are less expensive. The premium for Grezeaux is pretty modest.

The Les Granges is nice but not one of the big four IMHO. The domaine is the basic bottling, so I was not putting it in the cuvee group, but damn is it a heck of a value!