TN: 2017 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux

  • 2017 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (8/5/2020)
    Reading the other scores on CT, guess I’m not seeing what everyone else seems to be seeing in this. But I should add that it’s a hotel room/mini bar wine utterly devoid of any decanting or much embrace, accompanied by a rather sad room service Rigatoni Bolognese.

Chalky, lead nose, def som barnyard/light brett there. Smells like a wine in barrel that is in that slightly “farty” stage. Purple darkness on color. Sour cranberries, sour fruits on the palate, pyrazines and some stem notes, pretty low tannins and the barnyard vibe continues. Slightly short. I like the acidity and there’s a smoky note I enjoy, but that’s about it. To me, this feels like one of those countless local cooperative village wines littering Italy and France. (88 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Sorry this did not show well. I have some 17’s coming in but have not tried yet. Sure hope mine show better than that. But thanks for the data point. Greg

Greg, it did improve a bit after about 3hrs in glass, so I’ve amended the score slightly.

Haven’t had it but pretty young for a Baudry, and maybe a vintage that doesn’t show well young. Odd choice for a hotel mini bar unless it caters to a certain subset of wine geeks.

-Al

My experience is that this wine absolutely requires a solid 1-2 hours in the decanter to really start showing well, would not expect good results without it. Having said that, it’s pretty clear that even at its best it is not everyone’s cup of tea.

+whatever we’re up to on the idea that Baudry regularly strikes me as being at its best with multiple hours of air. That said, I, too, have come across some bretty Baudry bottles, and they’re just not nearly as good as the clean ones. Now, get ready for the Baudry Brigade to come in here and tell you your bretty bottle wasn’t bretty …

I have not yet tried the 2017, but it does seem odd to have this in a hotel minibar. Not a “mass-appeal” wine.

Perhaps, it also was not a “mass appeal” hotel.

Anyway, I had a clean 2017 Baudry Le Grezeaux at about the same time last year. Back to back with the 2016. I enjoyed the 2017, which was relatively more open, displaying more fruitiness. But, I liked the 2016 more for the rustic, cool-weather fruit, more old-school appeal.

It’s seems like an odd selection even for a boutique hotel.

Perhaps a boutique hotel in a building that used to be a barn? [snort.gif]

I’d buy it!!

I’d buy it!!

Baudry Brigade made me laugh. I’d agree this is still pretty young and would definitely benefit from significant air

Or the boutique hotel or barn is in Chinon or Saumur.

88 seems like a high score based on the narrative.

But low for a Baudry, so I guess it’s a good compromise.

From the description, the “farty” comment may have been H2S rather than brett.

-Al

It was über-hip Ace’s new “luxury” outing Maison De La Luz in New Orleans. I highly recommend the hotel - French/Gustavian modern combo in the design and actually pretty much the most impressive mini bar I’ve encountered under 20 years of traveling/hoteling. So the wine makes sense in that world.

Came back to half a bottle left of it after work today - it was half in shambles. This needs a serious decant and then to be drunk. Won’t last 24hrs.

Doesn’t sound like anything I’ve had. Last time I opened a Baudry, it took an hour or two to open and drunk really well over two days.

I had a small portion left on third day and while otherwise drinking really well even then, it had developed a slightest touch of mousiness.

I haven’t had any 2017s yet, but i would be odd if the wines with more age could survive for longer than younger wines. Unless you kept the wine at room temperature or something?

Did you keep yours in fridge, Otto? This was left with just cork in it at about 68 degrees for the day in the hotel room. Not great conditions, but there have been worse. Maybe it was just the bottle.