Charles Joguet is one of the great names of Chinon and a benchmark for Cabernet Franc at its most expressive. Credited with putting Chinon on the fine-wine map, Joguet was a pioneer of single-vineyard bottlings, a legacy continued today by the Genet family. From gnarled old vines on classic Chinon soils, the wines combine sweet red fruit, spice and mineral depth with energy and precision. Profound yet never heavy, they show a distinctive saline freshness and have the structure to age beautifully.  Cabernet Franc at its most characterful and complete.

The flagship Clos de la Dioterie is one of Chinon’s great historic vineyards. From old vines on calcareous clay soils, it delivers concentrated yet refined Cabernet Franc with depth, minerality and a distinctive saline freshness. A complex, long lived wine built for the cellar.

"Charles Joguet himself was the iconic producer in Chinon from the 1960s onwards until he retired about 25 years ago. He is in his 90s today, and I am happy to have met him in person three years ago at the Domaine de Pallus, where we had some amazing old wines. It is being said it's easier to purchase a Romanée-Conti today than a matured Charles Joguet, since whoever owns a bottle would drink it but never sell...

I really like all wines from this producer, but three Chinons stand out: Les Varennes du Grand Clos (fermented at higher temperatures than most cuvées), Clos du Chêne Vert (one of the oldest lieux-dits of the AOP, which is situated in the small city of Chinon on the right bank of the Vienne River and named for a monumental green oak tree that hangs over the parcel) and the Clos de la Dioterie (situated next to the winery, with the domaine’s oldest vines in a northeastern sun exposure)."  Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate