Château Du Petit Thouars 'Les Georges', Chinon, Loire Valley, France 2021

Chateau du Petit Thouars is a family run estate nestled in corridors of natural limestone caves in the Chinon appellation of the Loire Valley.  The property was deeded to the family by Cardinal Richelieu in 1636 and vineyards that surround the farm house were planted in 1975.  Today the 150 hectare estate is run by Sebastien du Petit Thouars (12th generation to dwell here since his ancestor George purchased the property in 1636) and his wife d’Arcy.  

Winemaker: Sebastién du Petit Thouars

Farming: In organic conversion 

Varieties: 100% Cabernet Franc

Vinification: After total destemming and a 1-2 day cold soak, red wines ferment spontaneously in open-top tronconic oak foudres and stainless-steel tanks.

Aging: stainless-steel tanks for 6 months.

Tasting notes: Bright and fresh on the nose with red berry aromatics, floral and some white pepper.  The palate is medium bodied with lots of crunchy red fruit, subtle earthy and mineral notes with medium to high acidity and light to medium ripe tannins. 

2022 Explorer Club Bottle Notes:

Chateau du Petit Thouars | Les Georges | Chinon, France | 2020

    The Loire Valley is renowned for numerous white grapes, including Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne, not to mention pears, chevre cheese and castles! But in this vast agricultural hotbed, there is just one red grape that rules high above all others: Cabernet Franc. While the grape is found throughout the expansive valley, there are just a very small handful of villages where the Cabernet Franc shines at its sexiest, and Chinon comes top of mind to many. 

    Chateau du Petit Thouars is a 150-year-old estate currently operated by Sebastién du Petit Thouars, the twelfth generation to dwell here since his ancestor George purchased the property in 1636. Sebastién oversees the estate with the assistance of his cellar master, Michel Pinard, a born-and-bred Chinonnais who worked for many years as the right-hand-man of Charles Joguet—one of the appellation’s most famous and respected vignerons. Trust me, it's very cool.     

    "Les Georges" is the friendliest of Chateau du Petit Thouars' red-wine offerings. It’s produced entirely from the free-run juice of Cabernet Franc and is vinified and aged in a steel tank. The exclusive use of free-run juice provides a welcome lift and brightness to the typically firm and chewy tannins found in Chinon rouge. Nevertheless, this wine carries all the classic hallmarks of a spicy, crunchy Chinon Cab Franc. It's brimming with red currants, smoked bell pepper, wet clay, and fresh violets. The wine glides across the palate with a comforting silkiness but finishes with a pinch of tannin and lingering notes of sour cherry and pink peppercorn. In a nutshell, it's all the best qualities of Loire Valley Cabernet Franc and captures the minerally, floral backbone that the village of Chinon is famous for. If you didn't know Chinon before, now you do. Open this bottle 30 to 45 minutes before enjoying, and pair it alongside tangy goat cheese, roasted duck or miso-marinated roast pork and shiitakes.  —Simi Grewal