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A particular subsoil gives this well-known vintage a very spicy nose and a deep mouth with a velvety structure that has aromas of very ripe dark fruit.
A great Chinon!
Notes :- Bettane + Desseauve 17/20
- Gault & Millau 17.5/20
- La Revue du Vin de France 16.5/ 20
Wine characteristics
- Vintage : Les Varennes du Grand Clos
- Year : 2011
- Appellation : Chinon AOC
- Grape types : 100 % Cabernet Franc
- Soil : clay-sand-limestone
- Harvest : manual
- Type of viticulture : integrated control
- Contenance : 75cl
Tasting - Cellaring
- Appearance : ruby red
- Nose : spicy
- Mouth : powerful and long
- Serving temperature : 14-16°C
- Cellaring : 5 to 10 years
- Drink from : 2016
- Winemaking process : maceration for 4 weeks in stainless steel tanks
- Maturation : 12 months in casks
Food-matching
- Food-matching : veal with chanterelle mushrooms
Experts reviews :
Bettane + Desseauve
Rated wine : 17/20Gault & Millau
Rated wine : 17.5/20La Revue du Vin de France
Rated wine : 16.5/ 20
Domain :
After being taken over in 2005, this 36-hectare estate has risen again and once again offers benchmark standards with a startling range and some terroir wines that contribute to its reputation.
Appellation :
See the latest sales in this region
This majestic river links various wine-growing sub-regions that go to make up the overall appellation, from the Massif Central to the Atlantic.
The Loire region extends over almost 1000 km and there are 4 sub-regions: Nantes, Anjou, Touraine and the Centre. There are 68 Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée.
Altogether, there are 65,000 hectares producing nearly 3,0000,000 hl of wine on average each year, of which 45% are whites, 22% rosés, 21% reds and 12% sparking wines.
The areas planted with vines stretch far and wide, with a number of different climatic influences, oceanic in the West, becoming more continental the further you get from the ocean.
Three words characterise these wines: diversity, quality and affordability.
Diversity, because the whites range from the driest to the sweetest, while the reds can be fruity or mineral.
Quality, thanks to the emergence of young, talented vignerons, coupled to a significant improvement in winemaking techniques.
Affordable, because there are some amazing quality-price-pleasure ratios to be found.
The main grape types for whites are melon and gros-plant around Nantes, chenin in Anjou and western Touraine, sauvignon in eastern Touraine and in the Centre.
The principal grapes used for making reds are gamay, cabernet franc and sauvignon, pinot noir and côt (or malbec).
Recent vintages
- 2011: very good maturity for reds, well-rounded and low in acidity. Dry whites more varied, but great sweet wines.
- 2012: a varied year for weather. Few sweet wines, but highly drinkable dry whites good for cellaring, particularly Sancerre. The reds are versatile and soft.
- 2013: fruity wines, easy to drink with low alcohol content.
- 2014: a great vintage in the two colours, with aromatic wines in their youth but with good racking potential. A remarkable balance between acidity, fruitiness and concentration.