2020 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (1/13/2023)
I have a sneaking suspicion that the 2020 Grezeaux will initially seem too ripe for the uber-traditionalist fans of this domaine. Even with zero air it shows a lot of ripe berry fruit, but then a tobacco note kicks in, and after that a deep vein of acidity that harnesses the fruit. After a few sips it feels more like Chinon, and strong finishing tannins ask for patience to resolve. The bottle has only been open for 10-15 minutes, but I am definitely enjoying myself. More to come!
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Similar to 2009? I haven’t yet broken into a 6-pack, but I like them starting at 15 unless the vintage is weak.
I could see the comparison to 2009. It’s really delicious right now. Going to put a few bottles down for the long sleep, but keep a couple more to enjoy it in this fun flush of youth.
I was hoping to have some left to evaluate tomorrow, but it’s been a long week, and the wine is quite delicious. Some additional tobacco now, so a little more classic, but it’s definitely showing a climate change effect.
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Your note spurred me to bring a bottle of this to a dinner tonight, and I’m so glad I did. It was delicious from the get go and continued to evolve for the couple of hours we were at the restaurant. Everyone loved it. Glad to have a few more but now it will be hard to keep my hands off.
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Glad you enjoyed it. A friend of mine has already drunk up four bottles out of his case.
had this off the wine list in december at lords, new nyc restaurant. i think they charged $55 which was reasonable at a restaurant. i was surprised how open it was. very enjoyable. ive been drinking baudry for 10+ years and always felt grezeaux always delivers at the price point but 2020 felt like further proof of that even despite the small increase in price over the years.
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That’s a fantastic restaurant price.
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Thanks for giving me a first look on all the wine I want to drink, David!
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I was coincidentally drinking this two days ago and yesterday, the second half of the bottle was quite a bit better, and I almost never say that about a wine. Significant reduction / stink completely gone and much less overt, but more together and delicious. I am not an uber-traditionalist and prefer this style of Grezeaux. I have a six pack out front for immediate consumption, another six pack buried.
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I am normally quite (over)sensitive to reduction, and didn’t get that at all. Interesting.
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No idea what causes it here but I have a history with Grezeaux and varying degrees of reduction. I have to order this from NY now but when Cave Taureau was in Durham it was a regular purchase, and some bottles from a given shipment would be completely free of it, and a few others would be undrinkably reduced. When I’ve ordered this in recent years it’s been in the daily drinkers rotation but I am determined to keep some of this.
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picked up 4 bottles at the astor sale…$23 was a no brainer. ends at midnight if anyone is keen.
missed this thread the first time around …
Had a glass of this at a restaurant back in November, and was immediately happy I have three bottles on pre-arrival; also, kinda bummed I only ordered three, but this is a bottling that historically doesn’t move me much — not at all the case with 2020, though.
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Decided to open another bottle tonight, and what a 180 turn. Four hours of air, and the tobacco and earth tones are blowing me away. Not sure how to explain the shift from climate change modern to old school traditional, but it appears that the force of Loire Cabernet Franc is there. It just needs the right moment.
Go figure!
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