The 2018 Charles Joguet Chinon Clos de la Dioterie is a Cabernet Franc from the Chinon appellation in the Loire Valley, France. This red wine, produced by Charles Joguet, is notable for its rich fruit profile and well-handled tannins, reflective of the warm 2018 vintage.
Vinous awarded this wine a score of 94, noting its rich fruit character and well-integrated structure. Their review highlights the wine’s “baked fruit” components, suggesting a blend of “black currant, red cherry, cedar, and spice.” The reviewer emphasized the wine's structured tannins, describing them as “resolved and incredibly chalky.” Despite its high alcohol content and warm profile, Vinous acknowledges the wine's quality, stating, “This is a lengthy, serious wine with sinew.”
Winedoctor provided an even more enthusiastic review, scoring the wine at 97. They describe the wine as the “grand vin” of the domaine, with vines aged between 70 and 80 years rooted in calcareous soils. The review highlights the wine's visual and aromatic qualities, describing it as “glossy and concentrated in the glass, dark but with a fresh raspberry-red rim.” Aromatically, the wine offers “toasted black olive, currant, smoke, and charcoal,” with additional notes of “green peppercorn and little touches of mint.” On the palate, Winedoctor describes it as “cool, sinewy, and similarly fresh,” with a “frame of tight tannins and fresh acidity.” They conclude their review with high praise, calling it a “real Chinon tour de force – in short, simply brilliant.”
The wine, with an alcohol content of 14.5%, promises a great future with potential for long-term aging. Both reviews underscore its balance between richness and structure, making it a standout example of Chinon Cabernet Franc from a notable vintage.