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Domaine Couly-Dutheil Winery Guide

Cellar Tours Insight — Since 2003, Cellar Tours has planned private wine journeys through the world’s leading wine regions, pairing tailor-made itineraries with VIP winery visits, fine dining, and expert regional guidance.

Winery Overview

Few names are more respected in the Loire Wine Region than Couly-Dutheil’s. Their wines have earned them great respect and are found in leading restaurants across France and further afield! The estate’s great journey began in 1921 when Baptiste Dutheil made Chinon his home and married his cousin, Marie Couly. He started as a wine merchant in 1925 and purchased his first piece of vineyard land, the  Clos de l’Écho. He replanted the vineyards and nurtured the soil to produce wines of great potential, laying the foundations for many years of excellence.

In 1928, a distant relative, Rene Couly, came to Chinon and married Baptiste and Marie’s daughter, Madeleine. Rene subsequently became the driving force at Couly-Dutheil, increasing the vineyard holdings and raising the quality of the wines. However, their children, Pierre and Jacques, and their sons, Bertrand and Arnaud, forged the estate’s reputation. Pierre and Bertrand have founded their own domaine, while Couly remains in the capable hands of the father-and-son team, Jacques and Arnaud.

There are many reasons to visit this estate, not least the grand château, parts of which date back to the 10th century; it resembles an imposing Medieval Fortress. As we would expect from such a dedicated team, all the wines are uniformly superb, but the vineyard Clos del’Echoo deserves a special mention. This ancient land has a unique terroir (visited by Joan of Arc several times) that perfectly grows the Cabernet Franc varietal. It is a wine of immense concentration and power; none who taste it are left indifferent. Sample a glass of Clos de L’Echoo, and you will be converted for life, one of the world’s most unique and spellbinding wines!

Private Wine Tours in the Loire Valley

Private Wine Tours in the Loire Valley

Discover the Loire Valley with private château stays, refined winery visits, elegant Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, historic towns, and graceful riverside landscapes.

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Further Reading

Author

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James Lawrence

With a passion for food & drink that verges on the obsessive, wine writer James Lawrence has traveled the world in search of the perfect tipple. To date, nothing has surpassed the 1952 R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva, tasted in the cobweb-filled cellars with owner María José. Meanwhile, James has written for a wide variety of publications, including The Telegraph, Decanter, Harpers Wine & Spirit, The Drinks Business, and Wine Business International. He lives in South Wales and returns to his former university city, Bilbao, as much as possible.

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