Divine

Loire

In our Magazine

Chinon

In the misty light of the Val de Loire, Chinon rises like a whisper from the Middle Ages—where Joan of Arc first met Charles VII in 1429 at the castle that still surveys the Vienne below with quiet pride. But beyond the ramparts and troubadour echoes, Chinon unfolds its true character in the glass, where Cabernet Franc reigns with measured elegance. Often mistaken for a mere country cousin to heavier Bordeaux reds, the wines here show a lighter touch: ruby-hued, with notes of crushed wild berries, violets, sometimes green bell pepper—a signature of the region’s cooler climate and tuffeau-rich soils. Now and then, a touch of Breton humor surfaces in comments about its supposed austerity, though true aficionados know the delight of a well-aged bottle, or the surprise of a supple vintage drunk slightly chilled in early autumn. Le temps shapes everything in Chinon, be it the wines or the narrow lanes where stone and silence meet. For an enchanting pause, watch the day fade from the Quai Danton as the river turns bronze—early October is particularly generous.
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