Les Charmes 2014
Les Charmes 2014
An elegant expression of a fresh vintage, this wine offers purity and precision. Crisp red fruit, vibrant minerality and fine tannins make for a racy Chinon. Nice tertiary evolution underway, ideal tasting window until 2026.
Les Charmes
A plot selection from the heights of Anché, Les Charmes combines elegance and freshness on a clay-limestone terroir.
From vine to cellar
Situated on the left bank of the Vienne on the heights of Anché, this 35-year-old plot of Cabernet Franc flourishes on a north-facing clay-limestone terroir. Vinified in wooden vats and aged for 6 months in French oak barrels, this cuvée is straightforward, crisp and generous in fruit. Cold pellicular maceration for 5 days, followed by vatting for over 15 days at 24-26°C. Blending of quality free-run and press wines after alcoholic fermentation. Malolactic fermentation in 3-4-wine barrels, followed by 6-8 months ageing in truncated wooden vats, revealing subtle red fruit aromas. Assertive character with elegant tannins and remarkable freshness. A cuvee for laying down.
The press is talking about it
Find out what wine professionals have to say
Bettane Desseauve
MILLENNIUM 2017
"Lots of charm and aromatic finesse. Floral ensemble, silky tannins. A seductive, precise, accomplished dimension and an exemplary expression of Loire Cabernet Franc.
2018 Wine Spectator
MILLESIME 2016
Very elegant, featuring notes of blueberry and violet, underscored by hints of spice and dried herbs. Shows great harmony overall, with good length and range. Inviting finish. Drink now through 2025
Bettane Desseauve
MILLENNIUM 2015
This fairly new cuvée from the estate comes from vines located in Anché, on typical clay-limestone soil, with vines over 35 years old. The 2015 is a little more solid and tight-textured than the 2016, but with much more finesse on the nose, with menthol notes that add their freshness to the beautiful ripeness of the grapes.
RVF
MILLENNIUM 2014
"The level of the 2014 reds is excellent, right from the entry-level wines. Precise, slender and nervous, marked by zan, Les Charmes deploys a myriad of small, fine tannins, serving crisp, fresh fruit that evokes sloe."
RVF
MILLESIME 2013
Our efforts have paid off in overcoming the pitfalls of the difficult 2013 vintage: the Clos de la Plante Martin chenin is straightforward and chiselled, while the Silènes fruit cabernet is full-bodied and well-defined. Fresh and nervous, Les Petites Roches shows off its fine, sinuous structure, to be drunk a little before Charmes, denser and fuller in its flavors." A floral Cabernet Franc with a sanguine balance that makes it fine and accessible.