Winemaker Notes
Originally establishing Les Chesnaies in 1987, the Lamberts soon grew interested and then wholly passionate about organic viticulture, and by 1995 the domaine had converted entirely to organic viticulture. In 2005 they decided to get certified and earned the designation "BioEcocert," a highly respected French agricultural classification. But that wasn’t the only thing afoot. In the early aughties, ferreted along by Nicolas Joly and others dynamos in the Loire, The Lamberts undertook the challenge of biodynamic farming. This method creates an ideal harmony between vine, soil, and environment, thus producing the healthiest possible grapes from a well-sustained ecological domain.
No chemicals are used whatsoever on the pristine soils at Les Chesnaies. Various plants (in accordance with the biodynamics) such as mustard, oats, and rape, facilitate the absorption of mineral applications like copper, and allow nitrogen to settle which becomes important during fermentation. Soil is enriched with home-made compost and biodynamic preparations 500 and 501. Vineyards are plowed by horse and harvest performed manually. At the winery grapes are sorted manually. Fermentation does not include added yeast strains. The end result is succulent Chinons of exceptional grace, structure and elegance. They are deeply colored and dulcet, and an ideal alternative to Burgundy for food pairings.
An important red wine appellation in the Touraine district of the Loire, Chinon produces fanciful, light-bodied reds from the Cabernet Franc grape. Chinon also makes charming rosés from the same grape as well as white wines from Chenin blanc. But the reds give the area its fame. Often scented with fresh herbs, black tea and violets, Chinon reds show a lovely combination of fruit and acidity. However, styles have become more concentrated and ripe in recent years from improvements in vineyard management. Modern methods include planting grass between vineyard rows, using higher trellises and deleafing to increase sunlight to berries and therefore improve ripening. Even still, red Chinon is intended to be a light to medium bodied, refreshing wine to be enjoyed in its youth.
Fuller-bodied Chinons come from vineyard sites on the clay and tuffeau limestone slopes, usually from the southern exposed slopes of Cravant-les-Coteaux, and the plateau above Beaumont. Lighter styled wines come from the sand and gravel vineyards near the Loire or Vienne Rivers with the most refined examples coming from the area around Panzoult
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.