Needs about 20 minutes of air to open up but once it does, it's pretty much a textbook high quality Chinon, with juicy, cruncy blackberry fruit over a background of tobacco and bell peppers leading to a succulent acidic finish. Just the barest, tiniest hint of bretty funk which mostly adds complexity instead of being a flavor in and by itself. Some surprisingly robust tannins indicate that this is quite early in its window. Despite that, it's very generous and quite enjoyable right now. Drink or hold, no hurry with this one.
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OMG so acidic. Nice light/med body red, bright fruit, virtually no tannin. But borderline sour it's so acidic. Good with a very acidic tomato dish. Chicken cacciatore worked well.
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Great wine. Inside of bottle coated with sediment, but wine clear and bright. Fruity bouquet and taste, red fruit, redcurrant . Underlying savoury notes. Very smooth . One of the best wines I’ve had in recent times. And only 13%abv
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Lovely nose of dark cherry and raspberry, with strong hints of spring flowers, also not a little brett, then a very pure attack of the cherry and raspberry, with a spiciness mid-palate because of the brett, and a long but crisp finish.
Still young but very impressive, it would have been outstanding without the brett. I don't really mind brett, but it did rather denote from the purity here. The Guillot 2017s I have had also suffered from brett, so it depends on whether that bothers you or not. Anyway, I really enjoyed it and I'm happy to have several more. For me, the best of the four wines and at 18 euros, the best value for money - 92 pts, which could go higher in the future.
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Dark glossy crimson in the glass. Very expressive nose of dark red fruits, a touch of funk, floral notes as well as mineral and wet earth. Palate continues what the nose showed and leads to a juicy lingering finish. Drank on Friday and Sunday with no degradation. Just lovely.
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Pretty much everything I want in a bottle of cab franc. Terrific aroma and well balanced palate. Still a bit tight on the finish which I think will improve in a couple of years. Great value.
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On the nose dark cherries, cranberries and soil, on the palate saline notes and a mix of red and black fruit, superbe density and length, a great vintage of the Clos Guillot which is a young vineyard starting to approach its adult age. Potentially 92
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Still nice, but maybe feels like shutting down a bit from my last bottle a year ago. All the same components are there, but just feels a bit disjointed. Try again in 2+ years.
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Deep ruby red colour. Medium and developing nose with red currant, black currant, green herbs, meaty, farmyard and earthy. Medium (+) taste of red currant, black currant, green bell pepper, earthy and green herbs. Long and dry finish. High acidity. Medium (+) tannins. Medium body. A very good Chinon Rouge. Part of my WSET3 exam prep. Drink now or over the next year. Goes well with beef or lamb.
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Started out with a little funk on the nose, decanting surely would have helped. About half a glass in, things calmed down and we are in business. The first thing that jumps out is the acidity - pops out the glass with snappy verve. Dark, earthy black cherry fruit appears, almost Sangiovese like, but more earthy and a bit more tannic. Give this time for sure.
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Dark berries and cassis, dense and powerful with a nice salinity, pretty closed, this is a serious Chinon of a very good year. At its peak maybe in 10 years, patience!
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Consistent with my last bottle but a little bit airier. Dark berry fruit smashed on limestone with hints of herbs and tobacco. Floral top note. Violets maybe? Then fine grained, limestone inflected tannin. Perfectly fun to drink now although it's apogee is several years down the road.
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Appearance: medium+ ruby, light staining, medium tearing, no rim variation nor sediment.
Nose: clean, medium+ intensity, developing, strawberry, black cherry, red currant, ripe red bell pepper, crushed gravel, thyme, leather, cedar, espresso bean.
Palate: dry, high acid, medium- tannin, medium alcohol (13%), medium body, medium intensity, long finish, tart strawberry, black cherry, red currant, raspberry, crushed gravel, thyme, cedar.
Overall: A pretty classic expression of Chinon, with tart red fruits, some pyrazines and herbal characteristics, and a noticeable dose of earthiness . Structurally, the high acid drives the wine, while the moderate tannins and alcohol play a supporting role. I would have liked a bit more concentration and complexity for the price; perhaps that will develop with age, but I think a safer bet is enjoying the wine in its relative youth for its savoriness and freshness to pair with food. Tasty, but not profound.
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Really good typicity, slight funk and classic cab franc notes (albeit young cab franc) of forest floor, green pepper and slight hint of barnyard. I like the balance of the wine, it is rustic, with ample structure and IMHO quite true to it's terrior. This can of course use a 4-6 years more in the bottle as the acidity and structure are slightly elevated, but with food this is all good (which is how I tend to drink 99% of my wines).
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BODY: medium-light bodied; garnet-violet color of medium to medium-deep depth.
TASTE: savory; plum/stony/garrigue mix; med+ to high acidity; very fine, gentle, tannins; slight TCA note occasionally appeared, but nothing else suggested TCA, and the wine was fairly expressive, so hard to explain what was going on there; juicy; plum & dark red berries --- loganberry and boysenberry; very light, old, oak. Really nice wine. Drinking well now, and I'd guess it ages well, too.
50, 5, 12, 17, 9 = 93
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Tight and firm and linear, but still juicy. Substantially darker, fuller bodied, and more tannic than your average Chinon — however I still like it now and over 5 years. One major note that I don’t see in other reviews is the funky, barnyard character that for me is dominant. It’s the “good” version of barnyard — the version that gives character rather than ugliness— but it is no doubt present. Take away 50% of that barnyard and this is a 93 wine for me.
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This is wonderfully taut and intense with delicious flavors of dark red and blue fruits, minerals, green pepper and excellent floral lift. Firm acidity and a touch lean at this point but absolutely pure and laser-like in its precision and focus. The finish is grippy and taut with notes of violet spice and chalky limestone. Young but really fine Chinon. 92+
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Decanted a couple hours. Bright violet at the edges. Dry stone and green pepper on the nose. Bracing acidity. Cranberries, raspberry, mineral on the palate. This is far too young for my palate. I recall the '15 of the same wine drinking much better at a similar stage last year. Vacuum sealed overnight, and not much better the next day. This strikes me as a wine I'm going to love one day, but my guess is that day is about a decade away.
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Dark berry and leafy with that dense fruit on limestone feel that I get from Guillot and different from the intense limestone from Croix Boissée as befits having two different types of limestone. Will be better with a bit of time in bottle but good now.
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Youthful and taut but with outstanding fruit and juicy acidity. Classic flavors of crushed violets, red/blue fruits and a touch of green tobacco. Quite lifted and fresh with fine silty mineral notes on the grippy finish. Needs a couple of years to smooth out. 92+
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Lovely nose of dark fruit and green tobacco. Beautifully lean and crisp with plenty of depth of flavor underneath with notes of black cherry and violet spice. Really juicy and lifted with a smoky edge which leads to a fine finish with developing complexity and hints of greenstalk, stony minerals and spices. A touch higher-toned than the ‘15 but every bit as delicious.
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Tasted at the domaine from a concrete assembly tank: dark color, herbs, blackberries, cassis, big concentration, salinity, 2016 is like 2014 a year for cellaring, forget it for some years. The vines of Clos Guillot are approaching their adult age, real terroir notes appear (more chalky notes are added to the earthy ones) and the wine is getting more complex and interesting every year.
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1/22/2024 - nectar14 Likes this wine:
Very good, rich but balanced and full of excellent Cab Franc character. Will hold for another decade.
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12/13/2023 - CondorKhan wrote: 92 Points
Needs about 20 minutes of air to open up but once it does, it's pretty much a textbook high quality Chinon, with juicy, cruncy blackberry fruit over a background of tobacco and bell peppers leading to a succulent acidic finish. Just the barest, tiniest hint of bretty funk which mostly adds complexity instead of being a flavor in and by itself. Some surprisingly robust tannins indicate that this is quite early in its window. Despite that, it's very generous and quite enjoyable right now. Drink or hold, no hurry with this one.
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7/31/2023 - silbakor wrote: 88 Points
OMG so acidic. Nice light/med body red, bright fruit, virtually no tannin. But borderline sour it's so acidic. Good with a very acidic tomato dish. Chicken cacciatore worked well.
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5/8/2023 - R.H. Likes this wine:
drink more of these
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2/3/2023 - grafstrb wrote:
In-line with prior bottles in 2020 and 2021. Drinking nicely now, so no need to continue holding if you don't want to.
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1/24/2023 - Ashdene Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great wine. Inside of bottle coated with sediment, but wine clear and bright. Fruity bouquet and taste, red fruit, redcurrant . Underlying savoury notes. Very smooth . One of the best wines I’ve had in recent times. And only 13%abv
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10/30/2022 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely nose of dark cherry and raspberry, with strong hints of spring flowers, also not a little brett, then a very pure attack of the cherry and raspberry, with a spiciness mid-palate because of the brett, and a long but crisp finish.
Still young but very impressive, it would have been outstanding without the brett. I don't really mind brett, but it did rather denote from the purity here. The Guillot 2017s I have had also suffered from brett, so it depends on whether that bothers you or not. Anyway, I really enjoyed it and I'm happy to have several more. For me, the best of the four wines and at 18 euros, the best value for money - 92 pts, which could go higher in the future.
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10/21/2022 - slulkin wrote: 92 Points
Dark glossy crimson in the glass. Very expressive nose of dark red fruits, a touch of funk, floral notes as well as mineral and wet earth. Palate continues what the nose showed and leads to a juicy lingering finish. Drank on Friday and Sunday with no degradation. Just lovely.
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8/17/2022 - chbeaumont wrote: 90 Points
Deep ruby; smashing mix of black & red fruit, coolly understated density; supple, lithe, medium/full, rounded tannins; plenty on finish. More to come?
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7/3/2022 - MJReb wrote: 91 Points
In line with my notes some months ago.
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6/23/2022 - Dipet wrote: 92 Points
Well done in rustic style CF. Wet earth , leather , wonderful acidity . 92-93
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4/25/2022 - cjsadler Likes this wine: 90 Points
A bit of funk of the nose. Good acidity, minimal tannins; green pepper, cherries. Not the best Guillot I’ve had, but maybe in time…
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4/19/2022 - Vas19 wrote: 92 Points
Pretty much everything I want in a bottle of cab franc. Terrific aroma and well balanced palate. Still a bit tight on the finish which I think will improve in a couple of years. Great value.
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3/8/2022 - MJReb wrote: 92 Points
On the nose dark cherries, cranberries and soil, on the palate saline notes and a mix of red and black fruit, superbe density and length, a great vintage of the Clos Guillot which is a young vineyard starting to approach its adult age. Potentially 92
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11/21/2021 - jerhardt wrote:
Still nice, but maybe feels like shutting down a bit from my last bottle a year ago. All the same components are there, but just feels a bit disjointed. Try again in 2+ years.
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10/16/2021 - SuperSomm wrote:
Deep ruby red colour. Medium and developing nose with red currant, black currant, green herbs, meaty, farmyard and earthy. Medium (+) taste of red currant, black currant, green bell pepper, earthy and green herbs. Long and dry finish. High acidity. Medium (+) tannins. Medium body. A very good Chinon Rouge. Part of my WSET3 exam prep. Drink now or over the next year. Goes well with beef or lamb.
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8/24/2021 - Dale M wrote: 91 Points
Started out with a little funk on the nose, decanting surely would have helped. About half a glass in, things calmed down and we are in business. The first thing that jumps out is the acidity - pops out the glass with snappy verve. Dark, earthy black cherry fruit appears, almost Sangiovese like, but more earthy and a bit more tannic. Give this time for sure.
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7/25/2021 - chbeaumont wrote: 87 Points
Deep Ruby; black fruits, polished; soft tannins, refreshing acidity, med-full, supple/cool fruit; finishes well -more to come.
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6/4/2021 - MJReb wrote: 91 Points
Dark berries and cassis, dense and powerful with a nice salinity, pretty closed, this is a serious Chinon of a very good year. At its peak maybe in 10 years, patience!
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3/17/2021 - Kcornett Likes this wine: 89 Points
Never really came together. A little bitter on the finish. Not much depth. Sour notes with funk on the nose. A lot of sediment.
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1/18/2021 - vulgar little monkey wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with my last bottle but a little bit airier. Dark berry fruit smashed on limestone with hints of herbs and tobacco. Floral top note. Violets maybe? Then fine grained, limestone inflected tannin. Perfectly fun to drink now although it's apogee is several years down the road.
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12/13/2020 - bvivio Likes this wine: 89 Points
Appearance: medium+ ruby, light staining, medium tearing, no rim variation nor sediment.
Nose: clean, medium+ intensity, developing, strawberry, black cherry, red currant, ripe red bell pepper, crushed gravel, thyme, leather, cedar, espresso bean.
Palate: dry, high acid, medium- tannin, medium alcohol (13%), medium body, medium intensity, long finish, tart strawberry, black cherry, red currant, raspberry, crushed gravel, thyme, cedar.
Overall: A pretty classic expression of Chinon, with tart red fruits, some pyrazines and herbal characteristics, and a noticeable dose of earthiness . Structurally, the high acid drives the wine, while the moderate tannins and alcohol play a supporting role. I would have liked a bit more concentration and complexity for the price; perhaps that will develop with age, but I think a safer bet is enjoying the wine in its relative youth for its savoriness and freshness to pair with food. Tasty, but not profound.
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12/11/2020 - angryphoton Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really good typicity, slight funk and classic cab franc notes (albeit young cab franc) of forest floor, green pepper and slight hint of barnyard. I like the balance of the wine, it is rustic, with ample structure and IMHO quite true to it's terrior. This can of course use a 4-6 years more in the bottle as the acidity and structure are slightly elevated, but with food this is all good (which is how I tend to drink 99% of my wines).
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12/2/2020 - grafstrb wrote: 93 Points
-- decanted 15 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over 3 hours --
NOSE: complex; savory; medium+ expressiveness; stony; burnt candle.
BODY: medium-light bodied; garnet-violet color of medium to medium-deep depth.
TASTE: savory; plum/stony/garrigue mix; med+ to high acidity; very fine, gentle, tannins; slight TCA note occasionally appeared, but nothing else suggested TCA, and the wine was fairly expressive, so hard to explain what was going on there; juicy; plum & dark red berries --- loganberry and boysenberry; very light, old, oak. Really nice wine. Drinking well now, and I'd guess it ages well, too.
50, 5, 12, 17, 9 = 93
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11/21/2020 - Kirk Grant wrote:
This was really "grape-y", and I was really, really unimpressed with it. One more wine I don't feel a need to buy again.
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11/19/2020 - jerhardt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Could duplicate my note from a year ago. Vibrant and elegant cab franc in a polished, but not modern package. Really nice wine.
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11/3/2020 - Shrages wrote: 91 Points
Tight and firm and linear, but still juicy. Substantially darker, fuller bodied, and more tannic than your average Chinon — however I still like it now and over 5 years. One major note that I don’t see in other reviews is the funky, barnyard character that for me is dominant. It’s the “good” version of barnyard — the version that gives character rather than ugliness— but it is no doubt present. Take away 50% of that barnyard and this is a 93 wine for me.
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9/26/2020 - dream Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is wonderfully taut and intense with delicious flavors of dark red and blue fruits, minerals, green pepper and excellent floral lift. Firm acidity and a touch lean at this point but absolutely pure and laser-like in its precision and focus. The finish is grippy and taut with notes of violet spice and chalky limestone. Young but really fine Chinon. 92+
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7/11/2020 - Gunakadeit Likes this wine: 90 Points
JBGuthrie’s note is spot on. Hold for at least 5 years.
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5/29/2020 - Gunakadeit Likes this wine: 91 Points
Needs a few years. Not there yet.
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4/18/2020 - JCGuthrie wrote:
Decanted a couple hours. Bright violet at the edges. Dry stone and green pepper on the nose. Bracing acidity. Cranberries, raspberry, mineral on the palate. This is far too young for my palate. I recall the '15 of the same wine drinking much better at a similar stage last year. Vacuum sealed overnight, and not much better the next day. This strikes me as a wine I'm going to love one day, but my guess is that day is about a decade away.
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3/15/2020 - vulgar little monkey wrote: 92 Points
Dark berry and leafy with that dense fruit on limestone feel that I get from Guillot and different from the intense limestone from Croix Boissée as befits having two different types of limestone. Will be better with a bit of time in bottle but good now.
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12/31/2019 - jerhardt wrote: 92 Points
Mid weight, poshed and pure cab franc Really good.
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12/13/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 92 Points
Youthful and taut but with outstanding fruit and juicy acidity. Classic flavors of crushed violets, red/blue fruits and a touch of green tobacco. Quite lifted and fresh with fine silty mineral notes on the grippy finish. Needs a couple of years to smooth out. 92+
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12/10/2019 - elconde Likes this wine:
Nice fruit forward Chinon. Good with rib roast.
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10/28/2019 - dream Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely nose of dark fruit and green tobacco. Beautifully lean and crisp with plenty of depth of flavor underneath with notes of black cherry and violet spice. Really juicy and lifted with a smoky edge which leads to a fine finish with developing complexity and hints of greenstalk, stony minerals and spices. A touch higher-toned than the ‘15 but every bit as delicious.
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8/18/2019 - wardamnwine wrote: 93 Points
Stellar right now! Dropped a few points from my original score (95) based on drinking a second bottle. Still super!
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4/1/2019 - LW31 Likes this wine:
Delicious showing. Vibrant, supple, red cherry. There is life and fruit here. Great now, likely to shut down a bit and then develop for years.
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3/8/2019 - AudunG wrote: 89 Points
Dark red. Dark medicinal aromas with tobacco, leather, black olives etc. Soft mouth feeling for a Cabarnet Franc, with good structure.
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7/20/2018 - MJReb wrote: 90 Points
Tasted at the domaine from a concrete assembly tank: dark color, herbs, blackberries, cassis, big concentration, salinity, 2016 is like 2014 a year for cellaring, forget it for some years. The vines of Clos Guillot are approaching their adult age, real terroir notes appear (more chalky notes are added to the earthy ones) and the wine is getting more complex and interesting every year.
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