The Gouron family has been producing wine for five generations at their La Varenne estate in the hallowed Chinon village of Cravant-les-Côteaux. The family’s Tradition cuvée is fashioned from twenty-five to forty-year-old vines grown on Chinon’s special gravel, sand, and limestone soils, which naturally lower yields and produce concentrated impressions of the noble Cabernet Franc grape. La Varenne’s 2018 Tradition reflects an opaque claret hue followed by textbook Chinon aromas of cassis, plum, black cherries, tobacco, and cedar. On the palate, the wine alternates waves of saturated stone fruits with underpinnings of soft limestone minerals and gravel, adding complex suggestions of pencil shavings, tobacco, and leafy underbrush. Fine tannins sneak in mid-palate and lead the wine to its long, savory finish, reprising waves of soil-perfumed cherry and currant fruit. This is classic, smartly-priced Chinon that delivers all the special character of the appellation while being approachable and ready for your table. Enjoy now and over the coming five years with fresh chèvres, roast chicken, pork chops, and dishes featuring wild mushrooms.
Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast: 90 points
