Bernard Baudry

Cravant les Coteaux, Touraine Loire Valley, France Bernard Baudry started the winery with only 2 hectares in 1975 and has slowly expanded to the present size of 30 hectares. He and his son Matthieu are enthusiastic proponents of organic vineyard management philosophy, which is impressive considering their relatively large vineyard surface. The winery is located along the Vienne river, which is one of the smaller rivers draining from the Loire basin into the Loire. The house and facility sit at the foothill of the limestone cliffs. Natural cellars from the regions soft tuffeau, providing naturally cool storage room for the élevage in barrels. After completing his studies at the viticultural school in Beaune, Bernard returned to the Loire Valley to consult in Tours. By 1975, he had purchased his first two hectares of land in Cravant-les-Coteaux, a village from which almost half of the production of A.O.C. Chinon is sourced. Over the years, the domaine has grown to twenty-five hectares. Bernard’s son, Mathieu, joined the family domaine in 2000 after studying winemaking in the Mâconnais and Bordeaux, with internships both in Tasmania and California. The Baudrys work vineyards composed of gravel, sand, limestone, silica, and clay. The variations of terroir and vinification methods make each of their cuvées unique and distinct. Bernard and Mathieu focus the lion’s share of their production on Chinon Rouge, crafting five fine cuvées of Cabernet Franc, all aged in old and new barrels in their tuffeau cellars. The Baudrys are staunch traditionalists; the size of the domaine allows Bernard and Matthieu to focus on highlighting individual terroir in each of their five cuvées.