Baudry is one of the Loire's best and his ultra-rare Chinon Blanc is a wine that's very close to our hearts.
It's one of the most fascinating and compelling expressions of Chenin Blanc.
Here's a hauntingly singular expression of Chenin. It's taut and ruthlessly mineral and yet comes off with a layered complexity that unfurls after a half-decade or so into something regal and multifaceted.
The only issue is that the wine is almost impossible to get in adequate quantity. There are only .8ha. Which is why we're only offering Baudry's 2011 Croix Boissée Blanc to people who've supported the Loire program. Even still, quantities are so small that we'll likely have to allocate.
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The wine's unrelenting minerality makes perfect sense when you know more about where the wine is sourced from. It comes from the top portion of the great Croix Boissée vineyard where the site's clay practically disappears and only a chalky mixture of limestone and sand remain.
What makes Baudry's Croix Boissée Blanc so compelling is how the complexity is presented in subtle, finely interwoven shadings of flavor - honey, stone fruits, exotic notes, a saltiness, chalk, smoke, gentle bitter notes, etc. It finishes with a slowly building richness and a textured minerality that won't let go of your palate.
Not to mince words, the 2011 vintage in the Loire was tricky. There were drought problems and some rains in September. It was a vintage that really favored the best terroirs, like Croix Boissée. Baudry's exactingness and ridiculous consistency helped too.
Baudry's Croix Boissée Blanc can be somewhat severe in its youth, but 2011 has a layer of stone fruits that makes it friendlier. There's still the wine's driving acid spine saturation with minerals.
There will certainly be no problem cellaring the 2011 for the next ten plus years. As I mentioned earlier, quantities are very limited.
Give us your ideal order and we'll try our best. Please keep in mind that it's the weekend and that you might not here from us until Monday.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
2011 Baudry Croix Boissee Blanc
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