Patrick Baudouin
Add to Favorites
Please Log In
Log in or sign up to add this producer to favorites.
8 products
We love thoughtful producers; we have a special place in our heart for winemakers who thumb their nose - however politely - at those who eschew quality and tradition for quantity. Patrick Baudouin seemingly has great disdain for anyone in a rush to produce more, more more; his efforts, however small in quantity though they may be, are mesmerizing and thought-provoking.
A man whose family traditions are a century deep in Loire winemaking, Patrick has served as the President of the Anjou appellation and railed against those who added sugar to their wines; his methods and tireless work in the vineyards have created a line of wines, both dry and off-dry that show their own natural, intense beauty.
In the Anjou, particularly in the hills of Coteaux-du-Layon where Baudouin's vineyards largely lie, the grapes are often botrytised; Patrick makes both dry and off-dry versions of Chenin Blanc that are compelling and unique - textured, deeply complex and dense, yet with an undeniable brightness. Historically these were vineyards strictly for sweet wines, but Patrick has proven that without a doubt, he can coax treasures from the soil without sacrificing his mighty standards.
Stylistic Notes: Historically, many of these vineyards were used for sweet-wine production, due to the routine botrytis (a.k.a. "Noble Rot") that serves to concentrate sugars, acidity and flavors. Patrick routinely encounters botrytis still in these vineyards, but primarily will make dry wines with these grapes. The style is still quite dense and concentrated and, at first scent may show the same sort of elderflower, honeysuckle aromatics of a sweet wine. However, most wines are perceptibly dry; that excludes the Quarts-de-Chaume, which have a law-mandated minimum sugar level to maintain, in order to showcase a historically important region and style.
