I should circle back to Les Memoires. On paper I should love this, vines planted in 1904!
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Yes, absolutely - much as I love the FDP, the Mémoires is always top of the tree for me - more structure and intensity. I’m looking forward to when one of mine reaches the 20 year point because my oldest (and I believe the first produced) is the 2012. I feel that they have the potential to be really outstanding at that age point but for now, that’s all pure supposition.
2012 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux
In a great place. It started off a bit lightweight but is shining with a bit of air. What it might not have in density, it does manage to be plenty persistent on the finish. If you lean on the side of crunchy black fruit & lift in your wines, it might be for you.
Aaand forget what I said about any lack of concentration. After about an hour, this has filled out considerably. Superb & not just for the vintage.
Still strong on day 2. My guess would be to drink now & over the next several years. It’s better to catch things on the upswing, but I don’t think it will fall apart soon.
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A couple of recent good ones:
2011 Château du Hureau - Saumur-Champigny - Lisagathe
Aromas of blackcurrants, dark raspberry and assorted herbs, then a mouthful of large-framed blackcurrant, with some blackberry on the edges, before the dark raspberry pops out midpalate, plus some plums, and the blackcurrant returns for a long, dusty finish. Surprisingly tannic on the first evening, much better the second, and outstandingly good on the third. This has a lot going for it - quite full-bodied, good grip, ripe but not overripe, all in a very classical style. I really liked the 2017 but this is a notch better. If you like Villeneuve or Yvonne, for example, this is a good alternative and slightly cheaper at around 20€. Definitely one for the long haul, I can see this being even better in another decade. 94 pts
2017 Thierry Germain - Saumur-Champigny - Les Roches
Lots of blackberry and blueberry on the nose, but with a touch of yeast and leather, then a winsome mouthful of quite ripe dark fruits, very creamy and savoury, even a little rich, but nothing OTT. Really charming and fun. Not at all like the usual Roches Neuves style, except for perhaps Terres Chaudes - which is unsurprising since this is not in fact a Roches Neuves wine. It’s made using fruit from other producers, and I don’t think it’s either bio-dynamic or organic. Very enjoyable and a good wine for those who don’t like Roches Neuves. At 14€, fairly priced for what you get - 90 pts
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Here you go.
I find myself questioning decisions and choices of my younger self all the time !
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Brilliant!! I have no recollection of that whatsoever, but my inconsistency is legendary! It must have been a particularly bad bottle as only a few months later I was waxing lyrical about the wine’s qualities.
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“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. . . .”
Emerson
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For the CSW anniversary dinner I opened a 2002 Clos Rougeard Poyeaux I bought off the shelf from CSW over 20 years ago. Showed beautifully
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2013 Baudry la croix Boissée
I missed taking notes but this was really pretty. Drank it over to night - improved by day two. Felt a bit hollow in the middle, however by day to it had some how corrected that. Aromatic, delicate, elegant… kind of dancing on the palate.
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Nice to hear of the good showing from a vintage I’ve largely tried to avoid.
I was positively surprised. The second night made all the difference, want to stress that point as the mid palate felt hollow on the first night…
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Great to know! Trust Baudry to transcend the worst vintage since…I don’t know when!
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It was a very enjoyable bottle of wine 
Happy I struck gold or have a questionable palate with my Baudry success. Perhpas a few more disclaimers before anyone loads up the buss. It was my first Boissée (have had the other cuvees in various vintages). I did enjoy the 2013 Le Clos Guillot, I have enjoyed well made Spatburgunder and Northern Rhone wines in challenging vintages with alcohol clocking in around 11%.
Have a few more bottles and I think a 2014 of the Boissee and at an appropriate time I will definitely open the side by side for a reference point.
There is no reason whatsoever to question your own palate! Enjoying a wine is just that! If you enjoyed it, I’m sure I would too. I’ve had some very enjoyable 2013s in the past (and some bloody awful ones!) - I’ve never tried a Baudry 2013 but it really comes as no surprise that someone so clever could make a decent wine that year.
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But how much brett did you notice?!?
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Opened the 2018 Croix Boissee Blanc last night. Originally, this was pulled for the Baudry Lunch I posted about separately, but we ended up having a few people drop out and decided we didn’t need that much wine. Bummer, because this showed really well.
- 2018 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Blanc La Croix Boissée - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (6/9/2026)
Very nice wine, tasted a few days after a Baudry tasting, including the 16 and 17 Blanc. This felt a little deeper and also riper than the 17, with notes of grapefruit, peach, and smoke. Textural palate with good acidity, orange zest, and apples. Nice finish. (93 points)
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You might be new to this winemaker - everyone knows there is no brett to be found here (or was it the other way around?)!
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thread drift, but… how would you situate the style of the baudry whites relative to say Huet, Chidaine, other big name Loire whites?
We actually had a brief conversation around this. I feel like there a little bit like a bigger Guiberteau (which in my mind can be amazing or rather boring), maybe similar to Boudignon. I don’t see much similarities with Huet
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Baudry CB Blanc is also Chinon, so some geographic differences. I know there’s lots of limestone all over the area, but I’m sure folks can point to the specific nuanced differences across plots.
I haven’t kept up with recent vintages, but Chinon Blanc always tasted distinct from Vouvray.
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