Both Ends of the Chicken: Chinon

Finally getting up my pics from a trip to Chinon with my high school chum Linda who'd come to visit.

Chinon and the Loire Valley is mainly known for Cabernet Franc. It's not a widely-known grape, and usually used in Bordeaux as the ugly step-sister to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. I find that it gives those wines a faint trace of eucalyptus and usually try to search out a Bordeaux without any Cab Franc.

In the Loire it's a whole different thing. Ripe and juicy and needing lots of sun, it tastes of earth and ripe forest berries. It's a big wine and reminds me of a steak in a glass for some reason.

Anyway, Chinon is also known as a fortress town where Eleanor of Aquitaine and Richard the Lion-Hearted hung out. The movie "The Lion in Winter" takes place here and I just watched the 2003 version with Glenn Close, Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. It's really a great film, very political intrigue and armor and kings and such.

Here's the fortress where it takes place, or what's left of it:

But I came for the wine.

First I came upon Phillippe Alliet who, according to Eric Asimov in the NY Times, makes the best Chinon. It's supposed to be hard to find, but we just happened upon it. They were either closed or don't have a tasting room, but I found a bottle of the old vine (vieilles vignes) good stuff in town. Just amazing.

Another great wine is from Baudry-Dutour, but again, they were closed. Do NOT go wine hunting on a Monday. Classy sign, and beautiful winery, out-buildings, and chateau. Definitely going back for this one.

I also visited Fabrice Gasnier and bought a bottle of his vielles vignes, which I decanted and we drank on Bastille Day after the fireworks. Truly one to look for.