Bernard and Mathieu Baudry are making some of the best wines in the Loire.
Unfortunately, one of their most fascinating wines, and one of the most intriguing renditions of Chenin Blanc, can be close to impossible to find.
In Chinon, in the hands of Baudry, Chenin Blanc becomes something that would have immediate appeal to lovers of dry Nahe Riesling and of 1er and Grand Cru Chablis.
There's Chenin's layered complexity, but it's disciplined into a wine that's tightly wound and linear. There's a saline minerality; a chalky texture that grips your palate.
Out of all of the manifestations of Chenin that I've tasted, Baudry's is the one that causes the most reflection, is the most haunting in its singularity.
 |
| Mathieu Baudry |
The wine is taut and ruthlessly mineral and yet still comes across as being polished and sophisticated. 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.
This 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.
As with most things this unique, this startlingly provocative, Baudry's Croix Boissée is in short supply. It comes from a mere .8ha of vines. Often the wine is sold out at the estate before anyone has even had a chance to import it to the States. Our offer today represents the only bottles currently available in the U.S - it's the result of many emails, as well as being an overall general annoyance, to Baudry's New York distributor.
All the effort was well worth it.
2010 Baudry Chinon Croix Boissée Blanc has all the markings of a great vintage for this wine. There's concentration, pure mineral expression and verve. It's pretty much a perfect combination. The wine possesses a radiant, glowing acidity with finely etched detail.
 |
Of course, this being Baudry, everything is presented with impressive class and balance. This is exactly the sort of character that promises an impressive aging trajectory.
And when it comes to white grapes that evolve in the cellar, becoming more and more complex with each year, Chenin Blanc and Riesling are without peer. (Vin Jaune could be included, but that's a much different animal.) Chenin's aging capacity is simply legendary. The Baudrys think that this has well over a decade ahead of it.
We bought all we could, but that amounts to just over a half a dozen cases (because of the quantities, this goes out ONLY to those of you who have supported our Geek Wine program!). Please give us your maximum order, and we'll do our best to allocate fairly.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
La Croix Boissée