2019 Couly Dutheil "Clos de l'Olive" Chinon

95VN

$39.99

This item is out of stock, would you like to save it and be notified when it's back?

Vinous

Reviewed June 2022

From one of the appellation's most historic vineyards to the east of the city of Chinon, the 2019 Clos de l'Olive offers a wonderfully rich fragrance and an almost creamy mid palate. While it feels a little closed right now, the concentration is intense. The finish is long and has sinew and sense of chalky precision, likely due to the clay-limestone soils of this south-facing, old-vine vineyard. You can expect a brooding and lingering scent that fills the mouth with fragrance long after you've tasted this wine. It's reminiscent of dark chocolate bitterness alongside black cherries, rosemary, pencil lead, tea leaves and a rich smokiness. Ridiculously young with the potential for even greater things. I often prefer the Clos de l'Echo but in 2019, Clos de l'Olive seems to have greater balance while l'Echo is the more generous of the pair, as usual. (RG)

Staff Reviews

Keith Mabry

K&L Buyer

Review Date: 03/2025

I have a real soft spot in my heart for the Clos de l'Olive. For years, the focus was always on the Clos de l'Echo and we rarely saw this wine in the US market. I visited the estate several years ago though and when I tasted it, I was immediately smitten. Even better, we tasted older bottles from the winery's library and I fell in love with the elegance and precision of the wine. The 2019 does not disappoint! This is a seamless and perfumed red with refined tannins and acid structure. It is still youthful but delivers layers and nuance that reminds me of those older wines from the cellar. This has a lot going on now and should evolve gracefully for many more years to come. FYI, I had a 1989 of this (from a great vintage) and it still remains one of my favorite Chinons of all time. I do not think you will have to wait 30 years to fully appreciate this wine, but it sure would be fun to try!

Notes

Maison Couly-Dutheil, founded in 1921, is one of the finest estates of the red wine-focused, central Loire region of Chinon, with eighty acres of prime Chinon vineyards as well as seven hectares of Saumur and Saumur Champigny. The estate's Chinon holdings are impressive as they spread over three distinct Chinon terroirs: Sand and gravel along the Vienne River which produce light and fruit-driven wines, siliceous slopes and plateaus which impart a certain finesse and elegance to Chinon; and finally clay and limestone slopes which produce Chinon's most serious and profound wines. Located on the premiere cote of Chinon, on the eastern side of the the town, lies the famed "Clos de l'Olive" vineyard. This parcel is about a third the size of Couly-Dutheil's more famed vineyard, the Clos de l'Echo. The vineyards, with plantings dating back to the 1930s, rests over clay and the Turonian limestone chalk that makes up some of the most elite sites in this region. All grapes are hand-harvested, fermentation is with native yeasts in stainless steel tank, and aged for a short period in concrete vats. This is a refined and elegant Cabernet Franc that is a great candidate for drinking now or resting a few more years in the cellar.

Details

Origin	Loire, France
Type/Varietal	Cabernet Franc
SKU	1771675