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Charles Joguet

Although the Joguet family had been tending vines around Chinon for many years, it was not until the mid-20th Century that the sequence of events that eventually led to the creation of Domaine Charles Joguet occurred. Charles had left the family home in 1949 to study art and sculpture in Paris, only returning home following the death of his father in 1959. Together, Joguet and his mother shouldered the task of caring for the vineyard, the Clos de la Dioterie, at that time a little-known outside of Chinon. The family had always sold their wine in bulk, but encouraged by a series of mentors, Joguet decided to take the family domaine in a new direction. Following the advice of two respected local vignerons, Marcel Angelliaume and Tafonneau, as well as Jacques Puisais, founder of the French Taste Institute and subsequently the Honorary President of the International Union of Oenologists, Joguet shaped the business into an estate of considerable reputation. He began to bottle his own wine, one of the first in the appellation to do so, and between 1972 and 1976 he purchased and planted several new vineyards thereby sowing the seeds for the range of cuvées offered by the estate today.

During the ensuing years Joguet innovated and improved, and was not afraid to experiment with new technologies and techniques. He saw the potential of his individual vineyards, and introduced the concept of vinifying and bottling according to the terroir, the vineyard of origin, rather than blending across plots which was the norm for Chinon at the time. He lowered yields, hand harvested, and collected the grapes in small 20kg crates rather than allowing them to be damaged in larger containers. In the winery, he introduced new stainless steel vats in which the cap was punched down to submerge it under the surface of the fermenting wine. And, in a daring (and some might say foolhardy) move, he even planted some vines Franc de Pied - on their own roots, rather than grafted onto phylloxera-resistant American rootstock - in the Varennes du Grand Clos vineyard.

Joguet, Pinard, Genet, Delaunay & Barc

In more recent years the winemaking team has increased in strength and in numbers, the first major addition being Michel Pinard, who Joguet met in 1983; by the 1988 vintage Pinard was in charge of the winemaking. Then came Jacques Genet in 1985, and Alain Delaunay in 1986, first taking control of the commercial side of the business, but subsequently all involved took on a greater role as a company was formed in order to continue the work Joguet had started. In 1997 Joguet retired, leaving Genet and Delaunay in charge. Pinard has gone the same way as Joguet, and François-Xavier Barc, having cut his teeth in Sancerre, California and Bordeaux (at Chateau Angélus, no less), oversaw operations in the cellar. In May 2007 Alain Delaunay also retired, and François-Xavier assumed control of the domaine.

François-Xavier had worked at the domaine during the late 1990s, but after gaining experience elsewhere he returned in 2003 to take up the joint position of viticulturist and winemaker. He pays attention to detail, abhors machine harvesting (his reaction to this question, put to him when I first met him in 2006, was a picture to behold), and is moving the domaine gradually towards more organic viticulture. It is surely no coincidence that, in my opinion, the wines of Charles Joguet have been getting better and better since the 2003 vintage. Perhaps the ripeness of 2003 and 2005 plays some role in this perception, but wines from 2004 and 2006 are no slouches either. I think, under Barc, Charles Joguet is once more - as it was under Joguet himself - one of the most significant domaines of the Chinon vignoble.

The Charles Joguet Vineyards

As the Charles Joguet philosophy is built, it seems to me, on bottling terroir, it is important to get to grips with the portfolio of vineyards. Perhaps the two most important sites, those that yield the two top cuveees, are the Clos de la Dioterie and the Clos du Chêne Vert. The former is a northeast-facing vineyard of chalk and clay which dominates the Varennes du Grand Clos adjacent to the winery along the left bank of the Vienne, near Sazilly. It is the original Joguet vineyard, and this is reflected in its population of eighty-year-old vines. Thanks to its orientation it is often the last of the vineyards to be harvested, and yields are low, typically 30 hl/ha. The fruit is fermented without temperature control in order to increase extraction of colour and tannins, the cap is frequently punched down, malolactic occurs on the solids and the wine spends up to a year in old barrels before bottling. It is frequently the domaine's top wine; when it isn't, this crown will certainly be taken by that from the Clos du Chêne Vert. This is one of Chinon’s best known vineyards, located at Haute Olive, a little upstream of the town centre on the right bank of the Vienne. It is named after the huge oak that dominates the vineyard and which is said to be the new growth of an eight hundred-year-old tree planted by the monks of Bourgueil in the 12th Century. The vineyard itself is southwest-facing, with a very steep aspect and clay and silico-calcareous soils. Yields here are also in the order of 30 hl/ha, and the wine is vinified in much the same way as the fruit of Clos de la Dioterie.

Joguet purchased a number of other vineyards during his spending spree in the 1970s, and new members of the team have occasionally brought land of their own into the Charles Joguet portfolio. Other notable vineyards include Les Varennes du Grand Clos, a silico-clay and silico-calcareous terroir situated on the left bank of the Vienne, dominating the cluster of vineyards here. The vines, planted between 1962 and 1976, are harvested at an average yield of 40 hl/ha. Vinification is similar to the first two wines but this cuvée spends less time in wood, usually between five and eight months. As mentioned above, this vineyard was also the site of a single hectare of vines planted on their own rootstocks in 1982. The first vintage of Les Varennes du Grand Clos Franc de Pied was the 1986, and yet by 1992 it was already necessary to replace half of the vines as they succumbed to disease, and in 1995 the remaining half hectare was also replanted. Since then the plot has unsurprisingly succumbed to phylloxera once again and in late 2006 François-Xavier Barc told me that there would be no more Franc de Pied after the 2005 vintage, the intention being to rip up the vines and replace with grafted rootstock. Lastly in this list of the most significant Chinon lieux-dits comes Clos de la Cure; this another in the cluster of vineyards on the left bank of the Vienne, this one next to the church in Sazilly, the wines of which are bottled as Cuvée de la Cure. The soil here is gravelly with a clay subsoil. The 2 hectares of vines were planted in 1974 and are thus over 30 years of age, and they give a yield of 45 hl/ha. Fermentation is temperature controlled and the wine aged for a very short time in stainless steel prior to bottling. It sees no oak.

There are a number of other wines in the portfolio not so transparently related to individual plots, and these are led by the Cuvée Terroir. The fruit for this wine is sourced from a plateau vineyard in Beaumont-en-Véron, to the north-west of Chinon. It is a 10 hectare plot, only planted up in 1988, and so these remain relatively young vines. Originally in the ownership of Jacques Genet, the vineyard came into the Joguet fold when Genet joined the team. Press wines from vineyards adjacent to the Vienne may also be added to improve structure and density. The wine undergoes a short, thermo-regulated fermentation at temperatures no higher than 25ºC and sees no oak; it is aged in vat before bottling the following spring. There is also a jeunes vignes cuvée now called Les Petites Roches, using only free-run wine, the press wine going into the Cuvée Terroir. The only white wine in the portfolio is the Clos de la Plante Martin, which has the Touraine appellation, the vineyard lying just outside the Chinon boundary on the right bank of the Vienne. The soil here is clay and chalk, and there are about 3 hectares planted up, harvested at up to 30 hl/ha, sometimes considerably less than this figure. It is fermented in oak at a maximum temperature of 13ºC and then blended in steel before bottling. Although generally a dry cuvée, in 2005 the ripeness was such that after two tries through the vineyard, the second of which was heavily characterised by noble rot, that there was also a moelleux bottled. Finally there is also a Rosé, made from a saignée of the red wines.

Charles Joguet, Today and Tomorrow

From time to time I have wondered about the absolute quality offered by Charles Joguet. Over the years there have been one or two disappointing bottles, and some writers who were familiar with the wines under Joguet, before the arrival of Genet and Delaunay, suggested that quality had dipped consequent upon the change in management. But then in more recent years I have been convinced once more. The wines of the 2003 vintage, a good one for the region, were rich, warm and satisfying. To some I know they are over-ripe, but not to my palate. I found them beautifully balanced and fresh, and yet also rich and flavoursome, especially at the top end. And then the 2004 and 2005 vintages, both of which again seem to have been successful at Charles Joguet. Has this anything to do with the increasing involvement of François-Xavier Barc, who is clearly a determined young man? I suspect that it may. There is still a commitment to quality here, as evinced by the continuing practice of hand harvesting, when so many other domaines have turned to the machine. In fact, Barc looked distinctly offended when I asked him the question; machine-harvesting is clearly something he abhors, and that bodes well for the future. The vineyards are managed along ecologically sound lines, there are no herbicides used, there is a program of integrated pest management, and yields are low across the board. This all combines to bolster the good quality of the wines, and I look forward to equally good and perhaps even better wines in the future. (29/10/03, updated 22/5/07,15/4/08)

Contact details:
Address: 37220 Sazilly
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 47 58 55 53
Fax: +33 (0) 2 47 58 52 22
Internet: www.charlesjoguet.com

Charles Joguet - Tasting Notes

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Charles Joguet Clos de la Plante Martin Sec (Touraine) 2006: A nice nose, very fresh and lively, chalky but with an open style, and a slightly honeyed edge. Full, rather plump, but not over done. A little grip. Slightly low acidity, perhaps, but fine melon and pear flavour. Really rather good. 15/20 (November 2007)

Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvée Terroir 2006: This has a moderately pale hue, and a furry nose, with an animalistic tinge to the fruit. Fresh, mineral, firm and quite grippy in the midpalate, with nice flavour. Although the nose suggests this will be a lighter style this actually has a lot of impact and tannic structure on the palate, perhaps from the blended press wines that may be used in this cuvée. Firm finish. Good. 15+/20 (November 2007)

Charles Joguet Chinon Petites Roches 2006: A warmer nose than the Cuvée Terroir, with deeper fruit and a firmer character. Rounded, well knit together, with red fruits over a tannic grip. Slight mineral leanness underneath it all, and a grippy finish. Good. 15.5+/20 (November 2007)

Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvée de la Cure 2006: Only bottled two weeks prior to tasting. A really dark colour, with dark and dense fruit evident on the nose. Full and almost creamy on the palate, big structured and impressive. Rich in fruit, with a crunchy cranberry and cherry freshness. Good composition and potential here. Very good. 16.5+/20 (November 2007)

Charles Joguet Chinon Clos du Chene Vert 2006: This has only been in bottle two weeks at the time of tasting. There is some sweet fruit character on the nose, but it is not very expressive, perhaps as a result of this recent action. On the palate it has texture and structure and lots of substance. Good ripeness of tannins and fresh acidity. Lots of grip here. Really good potential. 16.5-17+/20 (November 2007)

Charles Joguet Chinon Clos de la Dioterie 2006: A barrel sample. Despite this it shows lovely creaminess of fruit on the nose with a sweet character, but also a green and sharp edge which may resolve when this wine has fully undergone malolactic, which isn't the case at the moment. A firm core of tannin, in fact quite a bulk of it, but good acidity to match. Lovely substance and possibly really very good potential indeed here. May be a touch superior to the Chene Vert. 16.5-17.5+/20 (November 2007)

Charles Joguet Clos de la Plante Martin Sec (Touraine) 2005: Quite herby fruit on the nose here. Ripe and textured on the palate, rather broad, but not particularly well defined. Rather open, loose knit palate. Makes for uncomplicated drinking. 13.5/20 (November 2006)

Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvée Terroir 2005: Sandy soil, young vines cuvée. A chalky, mineral style with a touch of smoke here. Plump palate, fairly rich, some tannins but fairly low acidity. Some herby-cherry fruit. This is rather nice. 14.5/20 (November 2006)

Charles Joguet Chinon Petites Roches 2005: Gravel terroir. A cuvée made by selection, from 30-40 year old vines. This is certainly a step up, an evocative, forward, open style. Very transparent fruit on the nose. It has a little more structure on the palate than the Cuvée Terroir, and a little more definition. Plump, but there is a good vein of tannins and acidity. Herby-meaty fruit character. An appealing style. 15.5+/20 (November 2006)

Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvée de la Cure 2005: Dark fruits, and a herby-minty character on the nose. An appealing, lighter style of red-black fruit on the palate around a core of tannin and nicely delineated acidity. This should cellar well. 16+/20 (November 2006)

Charles Joguet Chinon Les Varenne du Grand Clos 2005: A glossy hue, and a lovely nose, rich and laden with fruit. Similarly attractive, creamy style on the palate, a good combination of slightly hard-edged tannins well covered by fruit, and overall a lot of substance. Good acid backbone. Grippy finish. This has a good potential for the cellar. Very good indeed. 17+/20 (November 2007)

Charles Joguet Chinon Les Varenne du Grand Clos Franc de Pied 2005: From a one hectare plot of ungrafted vines in the vineyard. Rather a seductive nose, deep and complex. This has the advantage of the vintage, of course, but you do have to wonder if the ungrafted wines produce better quality. Broad, elegant style, with a fine tannic structure through to the finish. Wonderful effort. 17+/20 (November 2006)

Charles Joguet Chinon Les Varenne du Grand Clos 2004: Another chance to taste this wine. Sweet red fruit, dark and meaty depth showing now. It has a good presence on the palate, being round and well knit, not quite seamless but very well held together. Elegant, with a good grip underneath, fresh acidity and a lovely freshness as a result. Still drinking very well today. Very nice indeed. 16-16.5+/20 (November 2007)

Charles Joguet Chinon Les Varenne du Grand Clos 2004: A mixed cuvée, 70% from limestone and clay, 30% from sand and clay. Deep cherry fruit, with a minty style. Elegant, rather approachable, nicely structured, less tannic than the 2005s in comparison. It certainly has appeal though. Firm with good acidity. 16.5+/20 (November 2006)

Charles Joguet Chinon Les Varenne du Grand Clos Franc de Pied 2004: Rather quiet on the nose, a little berry fruit, opening up to reveal a little more with air. A nice, gentle style on the palate, much more so than the corresponding wine made from grafted vines. Round, complete, quite harmonious. A soft composition although there is a vein of tannins underneath. I think this is good but I think I just prefer the impact of the former wine. 16+/20 (November 2007)

Charles Joguet Chinon Clos du Chene Vert 2004: Limestone soils, peppered with shellfish. Vines average 32 years of age. This has a lovely style, with some stony and vibrant red fruits. Grippy. Lots of non-fruit style and the right composition for the cellar here. This has potential. 17+/20 (November 2006)

Charles Joguet Chinon Clos de la Dioterie 2004: From the oldest Joguet vines, dating from 1912. A lovely nose, deep and evocative, again with a minty streak. Creamy and yet elegant style on the palate, but with a fine tannic structure beneath. Dark fruit. A great rally of tannins on the finish. Very good indeed. 17+/20 (November 2006)

Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvée Terroir 2003: Sandy soil, young vines cuvée. Hot, spicy nose; tobacco, slightly earthy fruit. Good palate. Full, peppery, very firm, dry tannins. A little austere. Very positive acidity, especially for a 2003. 15/20 (May 2005)

Charles Joguet Chinon Petites Roches 2003: Gravel terroir. A cuvée made by selection, from 30-40 year old vines. Rather closed at present. Showing primary fruit on the palate. Some nice texture, and extract, with a very good tannic structure reflecting this wines gravelly origins. Medium body. Grippy. Good potential. 16+/20 (May 2005)

Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvée de la Cure 2003: A mix of gravel and clay terroir. Warm, rounded, more open nose. Good rounded fruit. Primary character. Plumper, broader style. Fairly moderate acidity. Mineral, smoky, rounded; the clay influence shows here. Good potential. 16+/20 (May 2005)

Charles Joguet Chinon Les Varenne du Grand Clos 2003: A mixed cuvée, 70% from limestone and clay, 30% from sand and clay. Sees a long maceration (six weeks) then 10 months in old barrels. Fine, spicy, red-black fruits. Some oak evident. Soft, smooth, seamless, rounded. This has a degree of elegance. Good mineral influence. Has potential. 16.5+/20 (May 2005)

Charles Joguet Chinon Clos de la Dioterie 2003: From the oldest Joguet vines, dating from 1912. Limestone and clay terroir. Sees some used oak. Rich, spicy, tobacco nose; this is classic. Elegant palate, quite seamless, good acid structure. Mineral. Smooth fluidity, dark fruit profile. Seam of tannin. This is impressive; early days for this potentially long-lived cuvée. This needs ten years in the cellar. 17.5+/20 (May 2005)

Charles Joguet Chinon Clos du Chene Vert 2003: Limestone soils, peppered with shellfish. Lovely tobacco and spice, fine leather nose. Super presence in the glass. Lovely freshness. Elegant, but richly flavoured. Dark fruits again, fine grippy tannins. Super structure. Also needs ten years. Another excellent cuvée from Charles Joguet; there is little to choose between this and the Clos de la Dioterie. 17.5+/20 (May 2005)

Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvée Terroir 2001: From a half bottle. A youthful colour, a bright cherry red, and not a great intensity of hue. An appealing nose, which offers cherry fruit and blackcurrant leaf. A lovely, rounded, complete texture on the palate, with soft tannins and moderate to firm acidity. It carries some raspberry fruit and there is a seam of chalky, minerally flavours running from the midpalate onwards. Despite its light presence in the mouth it has a strong finish tinged with black fruits and tannin. 15.5/20 (August 2003)

Charles Joguet Chinon Les Varenne du Grand Clos 2001: A fairly good colour here, fading a little with age, but this is appropriate. A lovely, liquorice-laced style has emerged here, mature fruit character, although still fresh. Slightly lean in style on the palate, elegant and stylish. It has appeal but is eclipsed by better vintages I think. Nevertheless this makes for attractive drinking now, and that is what I would recommend doing if you have any. 16/20 (November 2007)

Charles Joguet Chinon Les Petites Roches 2000: Also from a half bottle. This is the renamed young vines cuvée. Again, moderate intensity of colour. A pleasant nose though, with some red-black fruits set against a mineral tinged background. On the palate it has good fruit, a light to medium body and firm acidity again. There is a hint of texture though, and a little weight, and this is why I find this the most pleasing of the three lesser cuvées tasted here - the 2000 Clos de la Cure and 2001 Cuvée Terroir - despite the age of the vines. 16/20 (August 2003)

Charles Joguet Chinon Clos de la Cure 2000: Moderate intensity of colour, and a bright cherry red hue with a fading pink rim. Some interest on what is a reserved nose, which, after some time in the glass, reveals aromas of vanilla and cream-edged summer berry fruit. Fairly light on the palate, although with a rounded, polyphenol influenced texture and soft tannins. Fairly firm acidity - perhaps a little too firm. Flavours of canned strawberries. This is much better than my previous experience of this wine (when I encountered two corked bottles in a row at 60 Hope Street) but I am yet to be convinced. 14.5/20 (August 2003)

Charles Joguet Chinon Clos du Chene Vert 2000: The colour here is quite vibrant with little sign of maturity. The nose exhibits some notes of spicy sandalwood, with a little leathery background and some notes of roasted meat. Behind it all there's a suggestion of some dark, macerated fruits, lifted by an acetic note. Quite firm on entry, but quickly revealing a sweet, rounded texture, although there isn't the concentration of flavour to back this up; just a little woody streak. It lacks expression at present, with some rather exposed, slightly disjointed alcohol and a little too much acetic acid. Little in the way of tannin too. Not a patch on the lovely 2003s. 15.5/20 (January 2006) Label

Charles Joguet Chinon Clos du Chene Vert 2000: A lovely colour - obviously very youthful, with a vibrant, quite dense, red-purple hue. A nose of rich, ripe and pure blackcurrant fruit, with rose petals, fine tobacco and leather. Quite elegant on entry, but with a full, sweet, rounded texture, and a creamy edge. A lovely firm grip and backbone of ripe, sweet tannins. Tobacco-edged fruit. This is beautifully put together, and although approachable now warrants a year or two in the cellar. 16/20 (August 2003)

Charles Joguet Chinon Clos de la Dioterie 1999: Quite a mature colour here, suggesting this wine is quite ready. Indeed, on the nose, there are delightful meaty, iodine, burnt caramel notes. In contrast the palate is rather restrained, but does show show very stylish, dry, minerally character with some dark fruits, carried by a full and fleshy midpalate. There is great finesse here, as demonstrated by a handsome finish. This is very good, eclipsing the 2000 Chene Vert completely, and is ready for drinking now, if you have any. Very good. 17.5/20 (January 2006) Label

Charles Joguet Chinon Clos de la Dioterie 1998: A nice garnet red, fading to a pink rim - no real sign of maturity here despite five years age. Ripe but crunchy berry fruits on the nose, with smoky, mineral, black fruit nuances. On the palate it is structured, with lean fruit. A slightly oily, polyphenol-influenced texture, with a background of tannin and firm, upright acidity. I suspect this is a great terroir, but this is a lesser vintage, producing a wine with more delicacy than power. 16.5/20 (August 2003)

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Touraine

Vouvray & Montlouis:
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• Charles Joguet
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