The Charms of Cheverny Rouge

A good Cheverny Rouge is one of my favourite red wines.  Cheverny Rouge is a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. In Burgundy, the same blend is ‘Passetoutgrain’.  The equal version in Loire is Cheverny Rouge.  The prices of Cheverny Rouge, even from a top producer like Le Clos duTue-Boeuf and Puzelat-Bonhomme, remain very attractive.

The appellation of Cheverny is relatively small – no more than 500 hectares or so.   Thierry Puzelat, along with his older brother Jean-Marie, farms their family 7-hectare domain of Le Clos du Tue-Boeuf in a tiny village of Les Montils.

The above are two different cuvees of Cheverny Rouge.  The single vineyard ‘Rouillon’ is from a separate parcel.  To me, the 'Rouillon' has a touch more prettiness and elegance.  Le Clos du Tue-Boeuf Cheverny Rouges have spectacular sour cherries, freshness, minerals and deliciousness that are hallmarks of their wines. Both cuvées  clock in at 11.5% alcohol! The cuvées spend about four to six months in neutral barrels and demi-muids (500 litre barrels) before being bottled without filtration.  The wine improves greatly in the cellar for about one to two years, if you can keep you hands off the bottles.

I like a good Cheverny Rouge because it is light in alcohol, pretty and versatile with a wide rage of dishes – grilled pork chops, roasted chicken, steak & frites, and even our local salmon.  Oh heck, the wine even tastes great with pizzas.  


For me though, there is something mystically mysterious about the Thierry and Jean-Marie Puzelat's Cheverny Rouges that have an emotional tug on me. I am not sure if I can put the emotional tug into words adequately.  The word charm comes close.

As a side item, Thierry Puzelat’s wife is an accomplished chef and she owns amazing restaurant L’Herbe Rouge in the village of Le Bourg à Valaire, which is located in the next village to Les Montils of Le Clos du-Tue Boeuf.  Pictured left is inside the L’Herbe Rouge. Having dined there, I can say L’Herbe Rouge is one of my favourite restaurants in France.  And that is quite the statement. Honest local cooking without the fuss.  Deliciousness of her cooking is only matched by her husband’s wines. I would like to imagine a restaurant like L’Herbe Rouge was common in the French countryside in the 1930’s and 1940’s before the main highways and byways diverted the traffic away from the small villages.  And that the village folks and tourists alike took quality time to take-in some honest cooking and relax.  The restaurant also has rooms available for rent.  As you can imagine, the wine list at the restaurant is awesome.  I can close my eyes, point, and be happy with the choice every single time.  In fact, I just close my eyes and I am transported to a piece of heaven in the tiny French village of Le Bourg à Valaire.