2009 Chinon, Bernard Baudry

"... this represents, as usual, a melange of fruit from numerous parcels, around 80% from the chalk-clay plateau, and the rest from gravel near the river. Dramatically contrasting with the Les Granges for its satiny texture and prominent sense of ripe mulberry and beet root, this is suffused with a savory salinity akin to shrimp shell reduction, nut oils, and crushed stone. It’s hard to imagine a much more ideal combination in red wine of saliva-inducing yet richly ripe fruit with almost white wine-like freshness and mineral interplay. This should be delightful to follow for 6-8 years, though one ought on no account to miss out on its youthful virtues. And given that previous vintages of this wine have always retailed for not much over $20, it’s bound to represent outstanding value."