This wine is so Alfert wheelhouse!
Quite pungent dank earth. Moist dark Cuban maduro tobacco leaf. Herbaceous and savory. Warm dark fruit notes. Sweaty saddle leather. Brine, cured meats. While mostly dark-fruited there are hints of blood orange down there. Quite full-bodied for a Chinon. Not necessarily elegant, I’m thinking more Plantagenet than Midici. Iron fist lacking the velvet glove, but right now I don’t want velvet. Still quite chewy but love these savory sweet chalky tannins. Uber long chewy finish.
Probably about five years from apogee.
But still outstanding.
(94 pts.)
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Some people might have a heart attack reading these descriptions!
I’ve stashed away a bunch. Since Baudry v Rougesrd athon , I’ve developed more willingness to let my LCB age to 20 years instead of 10-15. Excited to crack into the 10s and 15s soon. Meanwhile anyone selling 05s hit up your boy!
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Hard to believe 2010s have been aged for 15 yrs!
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Yep, the 2012 is unapologetically old-school Chinon. I don’t remember it being full bodied and ripe but maybe the structure was hiding it earlier on. Great note and sounds good though. I’ll need to pull one out soon.
I did say full-bodied “for a Chinon,” but as you know, I have a rather delicate palate…
Faryan I concur, and this 2012 is exactly an 18 to 20 year wine to hit its peak window. But I will say it’s also very vintage dependent. The immediately preceding vintage, 2011, is wide open and good to go. It is a fundamentally different display of Cab Franc. Very high acid, high energy, and more on the red spectrum of things. I popped one about a month or so ago. It will not hit the higher highs that this Cuvee hits but it is damn fine in its own right. I also don’t see it actually getting any better, it’s at peak and will hold this plateau for a handful of years.
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there’s no such thing as a Full bodied 12 or 13% wine. It’s firmly Medium bodied. Just sayin (I was taught that by a former WSET Diploma examiner. Alcohol and body correlate, so yes, you can also have Full bodied Pinot Noir) 
I have had the 05 both last yr and this yr and it is very good. Also opened a 2003 this yr and may drink these before the rest of my 2005. Recently discovered a 1997 in my cellar which I had forgotten about.
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I do not agree.
Alcohol is not the sine qua non for what is “full bodied”.
But I’m just a country bumpkin!
you can disagree all you want. But you’d still be wrong, lol.
I’m just saying what I was taught by those that get to use letters after their name have taught. I know this forum has a tendency to think that they’re wrong and are worthless, but you don’t become an MW by accident.
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Fantastic notes - one of your best descriptions I think - I particularly liked the sound of the “sweaty saddle leather”, about which I’m sure you’re an expert! But seriously, great stuff, which really made me want to track one of these down.
This was my take from a bottle about a year ago. I had an excellent bottle of 2015 back in January and a great but still in need of a bit of time bottle of 2014 about a week ago.
That Croix Boissée structure, and especially the chalky tannins, are so distinctive.
Could not help myself, popped the 2011 tonight after polishing off the remaining third of the 2012 from last night. Quite a different expression of Cab Franc, lots of red fruit spectrum and green notes. Bell pepper and herbs, hints of brett. Grainy minerality to the palate, lithe in weight. Still chalky finish, though. Yum, but not at the same level. (91 pts.)
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pradikat Riesling says, “Hold my stein.” … even if that is cheating, somewhat …
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Keith and I are engaged in a rather enlightening conversation about this behind the scenes. Hopefully he’s willing to repeat himself when I start a thread on this topic
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