Chinon Chene Vert 2020 92WA
Beatrice et Pascal Lambert

$31.99 on 6+ (code: 6saves2)
$33.99 reg

92 pts Wine Advocate
The 2020 Chêne Vert from Pascal Lambert shows considerable promise. It evokes a deep, complex bouquet of dark wild berries, spices, pepper, loamy soils and chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, dense and structured, it’s seamless with powdery, velvety tannins and a long, delicate and mineral finish.

SOIL TYPE
Lieu-dit on a sunny, south-facing slope made of flint and clay. Regarded as one of mythical site of Chinon located in the city itself.
VARIETAL
100% Cabernet Franc. 50 to 60 years-old vines.
VITICULTURE
Organic farming since 2000 and biodynamic since 2004. No use of herbicides, pesticides or Phytosanitary products. Various plants such as mustard, oats, and clover are used as cover crop. Soil is enriched with homemade compost and biodynamic preparations 500 and 501. Vineyards are ploughed by horse and harvest is made manually.
WINEMAKING
100% destemmed. 30 days maceration in old oak tanks. Traditional punching of the cap with the foot. Fermentation with native yeasts. 12 months ageing in terracotta jars (30%) and in old oak barrels (70%). No fining & no filtration. No inputs during all winemaking, tiny addition of natural volcanic Sulphur at bottling.

Béatrice and Pascal Lambert, along with their son Antoine, cultivate 18 hectares of both Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc, certified organic in 2005 and biodynamic in 2012. Located in Cravant-lesCoteaux, most distinguished village of the Chinon AOP, also home of illustrious vintners Bernard Baudry or Philippe Alliet, they chose a Burgundian approach for their wine, bottling all of their three very singular types of soils separately: “Les Terrasses” Terroir of alluvial terraces bordering the Vienne river the flow at the foot of the estate; “Les Perruches” soil made of flint-rich clay, and clay and limestone found on the hillside and plateaux.

In the cellar all harvest is handmade to limit the crushing of the grapes and brought in the vat by conveyor belt (no pumps). Vinification is made the most natural way using native yeasts and no input. No or soft filtration. Only a tiny dose of natural volcanic SO2 is added at the bottling. The work in the cellar and the racking is made following the Lunar calendar. Lastly, they choose long aging of 10 to 12 months in either concrete tank, old oak barrels, Foudre or tanks as well as amphora according to the typicity of each Terroir.