WTN: 2009 Baudry Chinon Franc de Pied

I don't often post tasting notes, but this wine was just fantastic. Thought I would see if others have shared in the experience...

2009 Bernard Baudry Chinon Franc de Pied
If I didn't know better, I would tell you I was drinking a high quality, old school bordeaux. This is my first Baudry Franc de Pied, so I don't know how this vintage compares to others, but this is just great. Full of cedar on the nose, a bit of that loire cab franc vegetal thing too, but the cedar really takes center stage here. The other hallmark of this wine seems to be how smooth and integrated everything is. Just seamless on the palate. Beautiful fruit, really penetrating flavors with more of the cedar interwined amongst everything. Leaves quite an impression, I can still taste it as I write this. Wow. I can't wait to see what happens to my meager stash of this with some age.

I've had a lot of the 'lower end' Baudry bottlings and regularly buy and cellar the Cuvee Domaine and Les Grezeaux but this seems to be in another league. I don't have much experience with the likes of the Le Clos Guillot and La Croix Boissee. How do they compare to the Franc de Pied?

I've slowly been becoming a Baudry fan over the last few vintages (the '07 Cuvee Domaine made me a convert)... but this may have pushed me over to Baudry fanatic territory. One of those wines that makes the hobby worth it.

Agree. This is such a freaking amazing wine. I've loved the Baudry FdP in every vintage I've had it, but the '09 is something really, really special and I fully agree that it's in the same league as a lot of very fine, classical clarets. Really glad to be sitting on a case.

As far as parallels with the other sites - the FdP is from ungrafted vines in the Clos Guillot, but the Franc de Pied comes across with so much more depth, richness and polish and much deeper fruit than than the regular Clos Guillot (which is still a fantastic wine). At the end of it, I just buy and drink em all.

Thanks Salil, I can't wait to try the other '09 bottlings. I wonder why this was released before everything but the Les Granges? Does it spend less time in cask?

A case! How did you come across that? I found mine at Chambers St, but they sold out quickly and limited purchases to 3 bottles. I haven't seen it pop up since.

Great stuff, I hope the wines stay healthy for at least a few more vintages.

Les Grezeaux? Still sitting on my `05!

Just curious where did you find this?

Chambers St Wines... but they sold out very, very quickly. I'm not sure if it even made it onto the shelves... and they limited purchases to 3 bottles per person.

I don't think there's much of this to go around..

Chambers St Wines... but they sold out very, very quickly. I'm not sure if it even made it onto the shelves... and they limited purchases to 3 bottles per person.

I don't think there's much of this to go around..

Thanks.

Robert - I can bring a bottle down the next time I'm headed to NYC... we definitely need to do something German/Austrian soon though. (And I've been eyeballing a visit to either Seasonal or Edi & The Wolf)

Sali - you are on! Coincidentally I had the 2002 Baudry Franc de Pied last night at Edi & the Wolf (I brought it). Stunning!

(And I've been eyeballing a visit to either Seasonal or Edi & The Wolf)

Thanks for these names. They are new to me.

Seasonal's menu looks very good. Their bytheglass list is stupid expensive, though.

Edi & The Wolf looks great!