Cabernet Franc, Dom. des Hauts Baigneux

In 2013, longtime friends Nicolas Grosbois and Philippe Mesnier purchased 12 hectares of vines in Azay-le-Rideau, an excellent though relatively unknown terroir located a few kilometers east of Chinon. They immediately began farming all the vines organically, and set about on an ambitious project to reintroduce the wines of Azay-le-Rideau. Traditionally, Azay-le-Rideau is famous for white wines made from Chenin Blanc, and rosé wines made from Grolleau and Gamay.

Most of the vineyards are located in Azay-le-Rideau on the lieu-dit "Hauts Baigneux." The domaine also owns a two hectare plot in Saché, close to the former studio of famed American artist Alexander Calder. This great flint-heavy terroir produces the two top cuvées of the domaine: ‘Le Clos des Brancs’ and ‘Blanc Chenin.’ The red grape Grolleau originally comes from Azay-le-Rideau and traditionally is used in high-quality rosé production. Hauts Baigneux makes a compelling argument for its quality as a red wine, as seen in their 100% Grolleau Rouge.

The wines of Domaine des Hauts Baigneux are all produced with natural yeast and are vinified with minimal intervention. The cuvées ‘Les Chenes’ and ‘Les Pentes’ are delicious vins de soif that showcase the best of Loire Valley, and the single-vineyard Chenin Blancs are a testament to the towering quality of this terroir.