2018 Le Grand Bouqueteau Chinon Reserve Loire Valley 750 ml

Nowhere in the world will your red wine dollar go further than it does in Chinon—and we’ve never tasted a Chinon that delivers more than the 2018 Le Grand Bouqueteau Reserve. 

“This is the best under-$25 Chinon I’ve ever had,” said our Master Sommelier Sur Lucero, as he swirled the ruby-red wine, and we all sat mesmerized by its purity and arresting aromatics. Grown in an exceptionally warm vintage in the normally cool Loire Valley, 2018 resulted in seamless wines that strike the perfect balance between plush ripeness and Cabernet Franc’s signature red-fruit aromas and lively acidity. 

It’s impossible not to linger over a bottle like this: We recently cracked one open toward the end of a long day at Wine Access HQ, and it kept us sipping until long after we’d ceased talking and thinking about work. A Loire Valley red that resonates with St.-Émilion-type richness, the Grand Bouqueteau Reserve bears the kind of price that’s all but unheard-of in most regions.

Bright ruby-purple in color, the wine’s aromas bring an immediate impact of lifted black raspberries, mixed currants, and purple plums, with a darker serious core of fruit. Violets, cracked pepper, gravelly rocks, and organic earth play in the periphery, while the finish stays directional and focused. Savory and mouth-watering, this wine is an absolute joy to drink, whether you enjoy it on its own or alongside a charcuterie board or braised beef cheeks.

Le Grand Bouqueteau’s Reserve is sourced from some of the estate’s oldest vines, which are planted in limestone soils—bringing freshness and minerality to the wine—and clay, which contributes body and fruit. This 100% Cabernet Franc was ushered into bottle with a five-to-seven-day cold maceration that extracted rich fruit from the grapes, followed by a warm fermentation that softened the tannins and deepened the color. The result is a wine that stands with meticulously made bottles of Bordeaux. 

After aging in a mixture of new to three-year-old French oak and two separate rackings, the result is a wine of superb polish and clarity—one that would be at home in a pretty posh lineup. As Vinous said of Chinon’s excellent wines: “The value in these reds is astounding.”