TN: 2021 Domaine Bernard Baudry - Chinon "Le Clos Guillot" (France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon)

WINE TALK
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2021 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Clos Guillot - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (1/19/2025)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over 5 hrs. —

NOSE: Cab. Franc/Chinon stank immediately upon opening; dark cherry mixed with plum; some pyrazine and leather; unmistakably Cab. Franc; fairly expressive.

BODY: cork stained a pretty cherry red (as opposed to the light purple I usually notice for this bottling); garnet-violet color of medium depth; medium-light bodied.

TASTE: initially, worried about low-level TCA (I had noticed a little something on the Nose, too, but shrugged it off); usual plummy/savory pyrazine/light leather mix I find typical for this bottling; by the time we get to the 3.75 hrs mark, I’m sold on this not being corked; some stony mineral; quite enjoyable and approachable/drinkable right now; a typical Clos Guillot, although even lighter than usual, likely owing to the vintage. Gut impression score: 89-91.

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That feels about right. Thanks for the check in Brian.

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I might have shown more preference for it than you did, with low-level TCA not showing with my bottle.
Fwiw, from my bottle last year:

(What bottle of wine did you open today? (Part 2) - #4095 by Ramon_C)

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I was talking with a owner of a wine shop a couple weeks ago when I saw he had this open. He offered a taste and I passed. We had recently been discussing the 2017 Guillot and on this day he commented that the 21 had a noticeably higher level of Brett.

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While I don’t associate TCA with brett, I won’t tolerate TCA.

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Stop trolling @Robert.A.Jr

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I am not sure which it was. Could have been both in Brian’s bottle. After seeing Brian’s note, I regret not taking a taste that day. The shop owner definitely made a point of noting something funky was elevated in this bottling and he chalked it up to Brett.

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I ultimately felt there was no TCA in my bottle, but there was something there that needed some air exposure to sort itself out; once it did, I felt it was a very nice wine. I have a couple more bottles, so maybe I’ll fast-track bottle #2 for comparison’s sake.