Domaine Charles Joguet Les Charmes Chinon Rouge Bio 2016

Domaine Charles Joguet Les Charmes Chinon Rouge Bio 2016 is an organically farmed Cabernet Franc that captures the purity and finesse of Loire reds. Sourced from a single hillside parcel overlooking the Vienne, this wine offers a beautifully poised balance of fruit, earth and savory complexity. It’s a textbook Chinon for those who appreciate elegance over power, crafted by one of the appellation’s benchmark producers.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, Les Charmes 2016 shows a deep yet gently translucent garnet-red hue, hinting at both concentration and finesse. The nose opens with a vibrant mix of red berries—raspberry, redcurrant and wild strawberry—interwoven with earthy and herbal nuances, a touch of graphite and ‘rusty iron,’ plus the unmistakable varietal note of red bell pepper. Subtle, well-judged oak contributes a faint whisper of spice and sweetness without ever dominating. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, pure and finely etched, with juicy red fruit at the core supported by fresh acidity and taut, chalk-tinged tannins. Savory notes of dried herbs, tobacco leaf and a gentle mineral grip add layers of complexity as the wine opens in the glass. The finish is long, precise and mouthwatering, encouraging another sip. This 2016 vintage is already drinking beautifully but has the structure to evolve gracefully for another 6–10 years under good cellaring conditions, developing more tertiary notes of forest floor, leather and truffle over time.

Production
Les Charmes is a single vineyard perched on a slope on the left bank of the Vienne River, with north-facing clay-limestone soils that bring both freshness and structure to Cabernet Franc. The roughly 35-year-old vines are farmed organically and harvested by hand with strict selection in the vineyard to ensure only perfectly ripe, healthy grapes are used. After a careful, selective hand-picking, the grapes undergo a five-day cold pre-fermentation maceration in stainless steel to gently extract color and aroma. Fermentation then continues for about 15 days in wooden vats on the skins, at controlled temperatures up to 26 °C. The free-run juice and the pressed wines are initially kept separate to fine-tune the final blend. After an assemblage in the most harmonious proportions, the wine is aged for eight months in wood, where it also undergoes malolactic fermentation, gaining texture, complexity and integration while preserving the vibrant fruit and freshness typical of Chinon.

Food & Serving
This Chinon is a versatile partner at the table, shining alongside dishes that echo its mix of bright fruit and savory earthiness. Classic pairings include roast chicken with herbs, grilled pork chops, duck breast, charcuterie, pâtés and rillettes, as well as dishes featuring mushrooms, lentils or roasted root vegetables. It works beautifully with lighter game birds and Loire goat cheeses such as Crottin de Chavignol. Serve at 15–16 °C (just cool of standard room temperature) to highlight its aromatic precision and freshness. A short decant of 30–45 minutes helps the wine open up and soften the tannins, especially in its younger years; in maturity, a gentle splash decant is sufficient to remove any sediment and let the aromatics fully express themselves.

Producer
Domaine Charles Joguet is one of the historic and most influential estates in Chinon, widely credited with elevating Cabernet Franc to a noble, terroir-driven expression in the Loire Valley. Founded in the 1950s by Charles Joguet, an artist-turned-vigneron, the domaine pioneered a parcel-by-parcel approach in Chinon, vinifying and bottling individual sites separately to showcase their unique soil and exposition. Over time, Joguet became a reference point for serious, ageworthy Loire reds, with a strong emphasis on meticulous vineyard work and increasingly organic practices. Today, the estate continues this legacy under a dedicated team that has maintained its reputation for precision and authenticity, regularly earning praise from critics and collectors alike for wines that capture the nuanced, sophisticated side of Cabernet Franc.

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