Couly-Dutheil
(An Online Virtual Visit)
by
Terry and Kathy Sullivan
Images provided by
Couly-Dutheil unless otherwise noted.
This article describing Couly-Dutheil is based on the online interview, online data and photos supplied by Couly-Dutheil. We also received tasting samples. This article was written during the time of the world-wide 2020-2021 pandemic. Philippe Verrier, sales manager, answered our questions during an online chat.
Summary: The year 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the Chinon winery Couly-Dutheil. The producer specializes in Cabernet Franc that makes up the majority of the production. The direction of the winery is to let Cabernet Franc truly reflect the terroir where the grapes are grown.
History
A century ago, in 1921 Baptiste Dutheil moved to Chinon and married his distant cousin Marie Couly. Baptiste was initially a wine merchant. In 1925 Baptiste purchased a portion of a vineyard that would come to be known as Clos de l’Echo. He replanted the vines and improved the soil. René Couly, also a distant relative, came to Chinon in 1928 to help Baptiste with the harvest. René fell in love and married Baptiste’s and Marie’s daughter Madeleine.
Over the years, under René’s leadership, the size of the vineyards increased as did the quality of the wines. In 1951 René bought the rest of the land known as Clos de l’Echo. René and Madeleine had two sons to carry on the domaine’s tradition, Pierre and Jacques who operated the domaine after René’s retirement.
Pierre and Jacques also had sons that were interested in continuing the domaine. In the early 2000s Pierre and his son Bertrand founded their own domaine. Jacques and his son Arnaud carried on at Couly-Dutheil. Now Arnaud (pictured left along with Rachel and Francoise), the fourth generation, is leading Couly-Dutheil into the future. Arnaud’s focus is on the winery and the quality of wines.
The estate now comprises 104 hectares (257 acres) including vineyards located in three production areas of Chinon.
Vineyards
Two varietal grapes are grown in the vineyards, Cabernet Franc and Chenin. The bulk of the plantings is with Cabernet Franc. The estate’s 104 hectares of vineyards are in three different terroirs. Along the plains of the Vienne River, the soils are comprised of sand and gravel. Another location, on slopes and flat lands, has clay soil. The third location in the hills have clay and limestone soils. Each location creates distinctive profiles of the wines.
Winemaking
Couly-Dutheil has moved away from heavily oaked Cabernet Franc wines to wines that better reflect the terroir of the vineyards. This results in wines that are fruit forward rather than masking the wine with oak.
Philippe talked about the Chenin grapes and wines. He likes the possibility of making dry to sweet wines with Chenin.
Philippe admitted that Cabernet Franc can be a difficult grape to work with, often not achieving phenolic ripeness. However, he pointed out that the Couly-Dutheil vineyard sites are able to get Cabernet Franc to ripen. Philippe exclaimed, "That’s why we always harvest very late. Normally, we start harvesting Cabernet Franc mid-October and sometimes beginning November. To go to the ripeness without going to the rot, we prune the vine in order to have bunches quiet separated each other. Therefore air circulates between the grapes."
We asked how the winery determines ripeness. Philippe said they determine the ripeness through taste. He mentioned, “There is a short time between the grape becoming ripe and overripe, perhaps five days.” Luckily, the three vineyard locations ripen at different times, so harvest can spread out.
Philippe and Arnaud have been friends for many years. We asked Philippe about Arnaud’s favorite aspects of winemaking. Philippe responded, “More or less 10 years ago, he really had a big challenge on winemaking, by leaving the oak. Now, he enjoys more being in the vineyard, making sure he will bring grapes which fit perfectly with what he wants for a wine with no oak.
Another challenge is to harvest grapes with the perfect ripeness.”
Wines
We were fortunate to receive a sample box of four Couly-Dutheil wines (pictured left, photo Wine Trail Traveler). This was part of the Hopwine Fair that took place in March 2021 online. Each sample was 20 ml enough for a tasting.
The 2019 Le 100% Chenin, AOC Chinon was crafted from Chenin Blanc grapes. The 14% alcohol wine had a yellow color with gold hue. The aroma offered floral and fruity notes. The taste reminded us of honeysuckle, pear and lemon. The finish is very crisp and fruity. Pair with seafood, pork and cheeses.
We tasted three Cabernet Francs. The 2016 Domaine René Couly, AOC Chinon had 14% alcohol. The wine had an opaque dark ruby color. The aroma and taste were reminiscent of raisins, prunes and candied black cherries. The wine had a full body and medium/bold tannins. There was a long aftertaste. The wine pairs well with meats especially beef dishes.
The 2017 Clos de L’Echo, AOC Chinon had 14% alcohol and an opaque dark ruby color with black hue. The aroma featured a black fruit salad. The taste included plums, blackberries, licorice and baking spices. The wine was full bodied and had kissing tannins (tannins that pucker your lips as though you were going to kiss someone). Pair the wine with different meat dishes. The wine would also go well as an aperitif while in a rocking chair in front of a fire.
The 2018 Les Chinon Rouge Les Gravières, AOC Chinon had 14.5% alcohol. The wine had an opaque dark ruby color. Black berry fruits were on the aroma while the taste offered black raspberries, blackberries, black cherries and spices. The wine was full bodied with bold tannins. The finish was fruity. Pair the wine with goat cheese and Italian dishes such as lasagna.
Wine Tourism
Wine enthusiasts can visit the caves of Couly-Dutheil. Located in Chinon, visitors can have a guided tour ending in the tasting room where they can sample wines. There is a shop at their Le Clos de l’Echo vineyard where visitors can also taste wines this time in a vineyard setting.
The caves offer two visit possibilities, the Discovery Visit and the Connoisseur Visit. The Discovery Visit includes a tour that includes discovering the AOC Chinon, its terroirs, vines and history of Couly-Dutheil. After the tour, visitors can taste three wines. The cost is 4€ per person and lasts one and a half hours. The Connoisseur Visit includes what is in the Discovery Visit plus a detailed tour of the winemaking process. After the tour wine enthusiasts will taste five Couly-Dutheil wines. The cost is 6€ per person and lasts two hours.
Food
Philippe spoke about how easy Cabernet Franc is to pair with foods especially fish and simple meats. He suggested that Chenin pairs with goat cheese.
While visiting the Loire Valley, stop in Chinon and visit Couly-Dutheil for a tour and tasting. Although most of the production is distributed in France, wines are also exported to Great-Britain, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Canada and the United States.
Couly-Dutheil
12 Rue Diderot,
37500 Chinon, France
Article written April 2021.
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