This Chinon estate is emblematic of the appellation. Charles Joguet inherited it from his father in 1957. The Genet family took over the business and part of the capital in 1985 before acquiring the estate in 1997. It consists of 33 hectares of beautiful terroirs from which 100,000 to 140,000 bottles are produced each year, when the frost is not too severe. Anne-Charlotte Genet is clear: “The problem with us is frost. Not the heat wave.” The house labels seven cuvées of red, one of white and one of rosé. Each cuvée corresponds to a plot or, for the entry-level wines, to a blend of two or three plots, “in a unit of terroir”, she specifies. The prices of the cuvées range from 10 to 40 euros, for the “la-dioterie”, a fantastic wine for laying down. For Anne-Charlotte, the path is straight forward: “I am looking for the quintessential expression of Cabernet Franc on our terroirs. It’s a never-ending objective”. Otherwise more interesting than the bell tower quarrels that hardly affect her: “We only seek to protect the image of the estate in the most perfect respect of the appellation”. Sic transit gloria mundi.
Domaine Charles Joguet. Clos de la Dioterie. Chinon. 2016.
The very refined silky tannin touch is unique in the appellation, it continues in the most beautiful way, stretching with distinction to the very careful floral finish. 17.5/20
