WTN: Baudry, Courlat

[Jenise]

2001 Baudry "Les Granges", Chinon
This cab franc is in a perfect place right now: aromas and flavors nicely blended with age, everything knit together perfectly. Lightly spicy, lightly herbal, with a nice core of fruit--drinks seamlessly on first pour. All that for an inconsequential $13--is this one of the best wine values in the world or what?

1983 Courlat, St. Emilion
This is one of those one-offs that I picked up at auction for very little money--never had the producer, have no idea where it's been, but hey, it's less than the cost of a new bottle and isn't it fun to take a chance once in awhile? Once again, I'm happy I took the risk. Nice wine, nose of red fruit, vanilla and egg white. Spicy on the midpalate with plums and leather, and a bit of coffee in the long finish. Very polished and complete with fairly resolved tannins; holding nicely (no breakdown in the glass over two hours), but it's not going to improve further.

2001 Baudry "Les Granges", Chinon
This cab franc is in a perfect place right now: aromas and flavors nicely blended with age, everything knit together perfectly. Lightly spicy, lightly herbal, with a nice core of fruit--drinks seamlessly on first pour. All that for an inconsequential $13--is this one of the best wine values in the world or what?

Damn right Jenise. Loire Cabernet Franc IS the finest value in the world.

is this one of the best wine values in the world or what?

You can say that again.

Loire Cabernet Franc IS the finest value in the world.

You can say that again.


It is interesting to me how good you found Les Granges at six years of age, especially one from a mediocre vintage. I'm pretty sure this is Baudry's "drink young" cuvee and I've never had the patience to cellar my bottles of Les Granges, especially at its low price. Anyway, your note, to me, is yet more testimony, as if any is needed, to what a great winemaker Msr Baudry is.