Chinon Le Pin 2023, Baudry-Dutour

Le Pin is 100% Cabernet Franc from Domaine du Roncée in Panzoult, on the eastern edge of Chinon. The vines grow on old terraces of the Vienne River in France’s Loire Valley. Baudry-Dutour sorts the grapes in the vineyard, then uses gravity to move them into tank, keeping the berries intact. Aging entirely in stainless steel keeps the focus on the fresh fruit and the savory character that makes Chinon such a good red to have around at dinner.

Fresh blackberry and tangy red fruit come first, with a little leafy spice and a faint stony note underneath. The texture is silky, with bright acidity and just enough tannin to give the finish a gentle grip. That combination makes it right at home with steak frites or a bowl of garlicky sausage and lentils. Give it a slight chill and pour it with a mushroom tart, too.

About the Winery

Baudry-Dutour began with a friendship. In 1993, sixth-generation Chinon grower Christophe Baudry of Domaine de la Perrière met Jean-Martin Dutour, a newly graduated agricultural engineer and oenologist who had arrived to direct nearby Domaine du Roncée. The two began sharing equipment, experience and ideas, then formally joined forces in 2003. Their portfolio later expanded to include Château de Saint-Louans and, in 2009, the historic Château de La Grille, along with estates in Touraine and Bourgueil.

That scale could easily produce anonymous Loire wine, but the company organizes its work around distinct properties and parcels. Cabernet Franc remains central in Chinon, joined by Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc elsewhere in the portfolio. Baudry-Dutour describes its approach as conservation viticulture: soil life, agronomy and environmental protection come before fashionable dogma, with estates progressing toward organic certification at different rates. In the cellar, stainless steel, careful extraction and measured élevage are used according to the wine rather than as a house recipe. The result is a broad range, but the guiding idea remains simple: preserve the identity of each site and let Chinon's natural freshness do some of the talking.