Bernard Baudry: Other Vineyards
Beyond these two famed lieux-dits, Bernard and Matthieu Baudry own a number of other vineyards, and where better to begin an exploration of these vines than with those that sit opposite the domaine? These vines, some of which Bernard acquired back in 1975, contribute to the cuvée Les Grézeaux.
The parcel Les Grézeaux sits directly opposite the domaine (and it is pictured on page two of this profile). There are 3 hectares of vines here, the soils modern alluvial deposits, essentially a coarse gravel composed of flint, quartz and granite. This was one of the ‘original’ Baudry parcels, and was once source of the domaine’s top cuvée, before Bernard Baudry acquired the vines in Le Clos Guillot and La Croix Boissée, the wines from these parcels taking precedence in this matter. There are plenty of old vines here, the parcel having been first planted in 1945. Thus some vines are more than 70 years old, although across the vineyard the average age is closer to 60 years.
Perhaps the most significant change to the Baudry vineyard in recent years has been the acquisition of Les Mollières, a parcel located downstream of the town of Chinon, in Saint -Louand. I was surprised to learn of the vineyard’s presence in the portfolio – Matthieu once complained that the distance from the domaine to Le Clos Guillot was too far to drive, so I certainly wasn’t expecting him to acquire more vines on the very far side of the town. I can only assume he was drawn here by the high quality of this historic terroir, the vineyards of Beaumont-en-Véron and Savigny-en-Véron being some of the first to be planted in the region, many centuries ago.
