WTN: Red Muscadet, and Beaujolais

Monday was beef stroganoff (Betsy has 2 recipes, this is the "homier" one, straight out of a 1950s Oakland Hills neighborhood cookbook, though she uses fresh mushrooms) and brussels sprouts. Intensive research has led me to believe Loire cab franc and Beaujolais are best choices with this: fresh, high acid, and lively. A Loire red Monday and a Beaujolais with leftovers Tuesday did quite well:

2005 Pepiere "Cepage Cabernet" (VdP du Jardin de la France).
I thought green and almost weedy at first, but some air cleared that up.I liked this before, but a few months in cellar have improved further. Bright red cherry and raspberry fruit, a little tobacco and herb, good acidity without being sharp. This is cabernet gerown in Muscadet, whoddathunk? Good stuff. B+

2005 Terres Dorres (JP Brun) "L'Ancien" Beaujolais
I found this a bit more closed/tight than previous bottles. A tad grumpy at first. After a while some dark cherry fruit emerges, accented with a little smoke. Good acidity, fairly tannic for Gamay, a nice wine that could use some time. A B right now, but potential to be great.

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency

Dale, the "cabernet" you drank was probably Cabernet Franc. I quote from Jacqueline Friedrich's Wine and Food Guide to the Loire: "When locals say "Cabernet" they mean "Franc." And when locals print their bottle labels "Cabernet" generally also means "Franc." Cabernet Sauvignon doesn't play much of a role in the Loire.

There are lots of good Cab Francs coming out of the Loire these days, and the ones that Dressner gets from Pepiere in the Muscadet region can be had for a song, so I never pass them up when I see one.

While I have Friedrich's book out here's a paragraph on Loire Cabernet Franc. Remember that this was published in 1996 so the data isn't current.

"Cabernet Franc is the queen of the Loire. It reigns in Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, in Saumur-Champigny, and in Anjou. Though its dominance wanes as we move east, Cabernet Franc also plays an important role in many of the Touraines -- either alone or blended -- as well as in reds from Orleanais, Haut-Poitou, Fiefs Vendeens, and various Vins de Pays. It is also the base of many dry and off-dry roses, inluding Cabernet d'Anjou. Overall it represents 46 percent of the Loire's red-grape acreage."

She doesn't mention Cab Franc vin de pays from the Muscadet region, so I suspect that may be a fairly recent thing.

Yes, I realized it was probably mostly Cab Franc, as I noted Loire CF is one of my go-tos with this dish. It mght be pure Cab Franc, but similar wines such as the Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Cabernet I believe are mostly CF but with some CS. The part I thought unusual is the idea of red wine within what would be the Muscadet AC.