Overview
The Loire's greatest red appellation. Rabelais called it 'the divine bottle'. Cabernet Franc on gravel and tufa soils produces wines of elegant pencil-lead and raspberry complexity.
In The Glass
- Colour
- Medium ruby
- Nose
- Raspberry, Red cherry, Blackcurrant leaf, Pencil shavings and Violet.
- Palate
- Loire's finest red — elegant, pencil-lead Cabernet Franc. Generally medium-bodied, crisp acidity, soft tannins, dry, with a long finish.
Tasting Profile
Body Medium3/5
Tannins Soft2/5
Acidity Crisp4/5
Sweetness Bone Dry1/5
Alcohol Medium3/5
Grapes
Cabernet FrancChenin Blanc
Aromas And Notes
RaspberryRed cherryBlackcurrant leafStrawberryPencil shavingsVioletGreen pepperEarthLeatherTobaccoForest floor
Terroir
Oceanic — cool, mild; Cabernet Franc ripens slowly and perfectly.
Gravel (Graves)Tufa limestoneSand and clay
Food Pairings
RillettesGrilled river fishMushroom dishesGoat's cheese
Notable Producers
- Domaine Bernard Baudry, founded 1975 - La Croix Boissée
- Charles Joguet, founded 1957 - Clos du Chêne Vert