Chinon is the appellation covering wines produced around the historic town of Chinon, in the central Loire Valley. This area has been producing wine for many centuries, and although wines of all three colors are made there, the focus is now very clearly on reds. Small quantities of crisp white Chenin Blanc play a useful role here, but these account for just a few percent of total production. The typical, quintessential Chinon wine is tannic, leafy, berry-scented Cabernet Franc.
Chinon is located on the Vienne river (a tributary of the Loire), right at the western edge of the Touraine district and just a few miles from the easternmost vineyards of the adjacent district, Anjou. The strong focus on red wines separates Chinon and its neighbor Bourgueil somewhat from the rest of the Touraine. Because of this, the pair often get classed together with nearby Saumur (and particularly Saumur-Champigny) just across the district boundary in Anjou, being the only Loire winegrowing zones with any great emphasis on red wine.
Red Chinon Rouge wines vary in style from light-bodied and fruity (similar in many ways to good Beaujolais) to structured, middleweight wines with complex notes of undergrowth, pencil shavings, and spiced black berries. The latter style might be compared to Franc-dominant wines from the cooler parts of Bordeaux.
Perfect for picnics by the Vienne or Loire on hot summer days, Chinon rosés are characterized by their crisp, refreshing acidity and spiced-fruit flavors. Just like the reds, they are made almost entirely from Cabernet Franc, although the appellation laws permit up to 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
The reputation of Chinon's wines was significantly boosted by public praise from Renaissance scholar and playwright Francois Rabelais, who was born in Chinon. In Pantagruel, the play's eponymous hero states: "I know where Chinon lies, and the painted wine cellar also, having myself drunk there many a glass of cool wine". Statues of Rabelais can be seen in both Chinon and Tours, and the region's Université Francois Rabelais is named in his honor.
In line with the quintessentially French notion of terroir, Chinon reds strongly reflect the soil in which the vines were grown. The soils around Chinon can be divided roughly into two key types, which produce subtly different styles of Cabernet Franc. The gravelly, alluvial soils close to the banks of the Loire generate lighter, fresher styles, while those rich in the local "tuffeau jaune" produce darker, richer, spicier wines.
The tuffeau mentioned above is a yellowish, sedimentary rock characteristic of the Loire region where it was formed roughly 90 million years ago, during the Turonian era (which was named after Touraine). This fragile rock – a combination of sand and marine fossils – is highly porous, meaning that it absorbs water rapidly but disseminates it slowly. This is ideal for high-quality viticulture as it draws excess moisture away from vine roots during rainy period, but releases much-needed water reserves during dry spells. It also plays a key role in the terroir of neighboring Saumur.
