November Wine Focus: Loire Reds: Cabernet Franc, etc.

I think Rahsaan covered it re the Trinch! (believe the ! is part of the name, I'm told "Trinch!" is the French onamonapia for what we'd call "clink!" . Early and easy drinking is the goal. But surprised by high tannins
If you have a chance worth trying the Franc de Pied, Galichets, Nuits d'Ivresse, etc

Tim kindly posted this map a year or so ago. Time for another looksie of the Loire Valley

http://www.terroirs-france.com/vin/loire_carte.htm

Bob, for the sake of completeness, I repeat a link I showed elsewhere http://avis-vin.lefigaro.fr/connaitre-d ... -roannaise . This shows that wines are grown much further south upstream along the Loire and its tributaries. No longer Cabenet franc country, of course.

2015 Nicolas Reau Anjou La Vie Est Belle - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Anjou (11/17/2016)
This is a really delightful one year old which, for once, justifies a fanciful name. Richer and rounder in fruit than I would expect to find from a Chinon or Bougueil of similar age, fragrant, pure, tense and full of fresh mouth-watering acidity with surprising finesse and length for this price point (< €9). Not a lot of tannic structure so probably already at its peak and very good right now.

Posted from CellarTracker

2015 Nicolas Reau Anjou La Vie Est Belle

PS 11/18/2016 -Unusually for such a young wine, this deteriorated noticeably after 24 under vacuvin in the fridge, losing bloom and developing a resinous streak. Is this a consequence of its having seen no sulphur?

Anjou appellation wines used to be fun around here but hard to track down these days. Memories of some fine chenin blanc.

[David M. Bueker]

2010 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Franc de Pied - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil (11/20/2016)
Brett Favre, Brett Hull, Brett Bodine, Brett Cecil, Brett Butler...

My last bottle of this was fantastic. This one smells like a horse covered with band aids. Oh well

David Wrote:
Brett Favre, Brett Hull, Brett Bodine, Brett Cecil, Brett Butler...

My last bottle of this was fantastic. This one smells like a horse covered with band-aids. Oh well

I guess this wine was too “Brett-y” for ya!

Salute

Getting back on track with my 2009 Chinons!

TN: 2009 Domaine de la Noblaie Chinon Pierre de Tuf, Lore Valley.

Not a big tasting note as guests were #1. A nose that could not stray far from a Cab Franc, some ripe fruit on entry, integrated tannins. Still has good grip and lengthy finish, hints of some earthy tones.
Not the ideal match for tapas from local Spanish restaurant but fun with great conversation. That`s it forumites!

Do you find the Loire more susceptible to brett than other regions?

Do you find the Loire more susceptible to brett than other regions?

Do you? I wonder to what degree it is related to certain compounds/elements in the wine (I would have thought that riper/sweeter/southern wines would be moire vulnerable all else equal) and to what degree it is about winemaking practices/minimal sulfur (which may be more common in the Loire than elsewhere).

Any wine that is produced with so called “minimum intervention” or “naturally” (I realize this is an ill-defined term) especially reds with a high pH and higher phenol concentration most likely will have a degree of Brett. Brett could contribute both positive (smoky, spicy) and negative (see David’s post).

Salute

A better question to ask this group is who doesn’t like a little Brett (positive) influence in a red wine? Years ago Brett influence was thought of as an “Old World” thing (very much linked to the concept of terroir). Today because of the global movements of organic wine and natural wines, Brett could now be seen anywhere. Brett finds a home where grapes are grown (the majority of Brett is found in the vineyards) and in cellars where wine is made. The dominance of a Brett influenced wine is very much related to spontaneous fermentation and unfiltered and unfined wines.

Salute

This has been a very interesting month here on Wine Focus..especially if one is a Cab Franc fan, brett or no brett! I have a couple of interesting wines on my current drinking agenda..one from Spain, the other from Argentina. Also have the `09 Baudry Chinon Domaine in the line up.

TN: 2011 Aljibes Cabernet Franc Chinchilla de Montearagon, Castilla-La Mancha.

Purchased for this WF exercise, $30 Cdn, 13.5% alc, composite cork, Lot 082414, opened and decanted one hour. http://www.aljibes.com.

Watery cherry rim but a rich medium to deep intense centre.
Aromatic nose on opening...pepper, spice, berryish, blackcurrant, no green peppers or olive. No veggie tones either. All is good!
Initial entry thought is dry-ish, soft tannins, lengthy finish, not quite a new world style. Crisp acidity here for sure with cherry, blackberry, pepper and spice. Very good fruit balance here, herbal, hint of ripeness on day 2. "Hints of green pepper" from across the table "with a big monthfeel". This CF only gets better on day 2 with more character one looks for (in a CF). Especially olives. Big success for sure, CT has some interesting notes on this area of Spain.
Went well with Tourtiere......http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-makec ... -pork-pie/

Bob, that sounds very interesting. I'd like to know more about where it is grown. AFAIK Castilla-La Mancha has torrid summers and chilly windy winters. I would not expect such a climate to yield generally good results with CabFranc. However there are probably areas with more favourable micro-climates and also soils.

Brief notes on the Breton line-up at le Salon des Vignerons Indépendants coming soon. Foretaste - not one was brett infected.

Here you go, found this>>

https://joyofwine.org/2014/05/26/this-w ... seriously/

As it is relevant to this thread also, I have duplicated this extract from my post on the Paris tasting.

Bourgueil

Catherine & Pierre Breton

The only stand I visited where both the appellation and the estate were already familiar to me. By this time my palate was getting jaded, particularly after the last two big wines from Ch.Mangot. The Breton estate has sites growing Cabernet franc at Bourgueil on three different soil types, namely sandy gravel, chalk and flinty clay. The first tends to give fruity, quite light and early maturing wines and the other two more structured wines suitable for ageing. With a less jaded palate, I would love to have lingered in order to tease out and attempt description of the differences.

For me the stand-out was Bourgueil La Dilettante sur le terroir Les Galichets (sandy gravel) 2015 (€14); it showed exuberant blood tinged red fruit, bright minerals and round body; absolutely delicious. 2015 promises to be an outstanding year for Breton’s wines. The Chinon Beaumont (chalk) 2015 (€14) was more subdued but had lovely rich round fruit. Their Vouvray La Dilettante et Pierres Rousses sec 2015 (€14) was expressive, full and mineral.

As we climbed up the terroir and price scale the wines became fuller, more structured and more backward. The range culminated with Bourgueil Les Perrières 2011 (€22), which showed impressive structure and aromas, including a charcoal touch, which should blossom fully with more time. To illustrate this the 1999 was also shown; it was a lovely fragrant mature wine.

The Breton wines were presented by a bright young lady whom I take to be the daughter of the house. She told me that the stage (théatre) was her profession but she seemed very well informed about the wines. I raised with her the disappointments expressed on this site; Bob’s with Trinch! 2009 and David’s with Franc de Pied 2010.

As someone else here said, she confirmed that Trinch! is meant to be drunk young and it is not surprising the 2009 is dull at best by now.

The bretty Franc de Pied is a more complicated issue. Breton’s grapes are cultivated organically and the methods in the cellar are low intervention with little or no use of sulphur. The bottles were therefore vulnerable to less than ideal transport and storage at some stage before they reached David’s cellar.

A better question to ask this group is who doesn’t like a little Brett (positive) influence in a red wine? Years ago Brett influence was thought of as an “Old World” thing (very much linked to the concept of terroir). Today because of the global movements of organic wine and natural wines, Brett could now be seen anywhere. Brett finds a home where grapes are grown (the majority of Brett is found in the vineyards) and in cellars where wine is made. The dominance of a Brett influenced wine is very much related to spontaneous fermentation and unfiltered and unfined wines.

Salute

Victor, I find that the presence of a little non-dominant brett in wines can be a positive element of complexity just like that of another "fault" methoxypyrazines. However I do accept that brett is a risky thing for winegrowers to play with because it is difficult to control and can amplify with time and imperfect storage.

At the Paris tasting (see separate thread), I discussed this with Michel Issaly who uses an organic approach in the vineyard and a near "natural" approach in the wine-making cellar and he emphasised the need to keep brett out of the cellar. He also added that, in some cases where tasters claimed to find brett in certain wines, analysis showed that there was none; mild leather notes often mislead tasters into claiming to find brett.

Tim..does your good wife appreciate brett when saddling up her horses?!!

She loves it, Bob. So do I in moderation but the horse droppings much less!

Just realized the month is ending and it turns out I've had lots of Loire reds in November:

Bernard Baudry 2005 Chinon Les Grézeaux
Very pretty aromas and flavors of red fruit, herbs, minerals and earth. Beautifully balanced, with smooth texture, some structure and bright acidity. Harmonious, but with some complexity, too. Excellent match with applewood-smoked chicken, and onions, red peppers and shiitakes. The next day, it’s even better. It has pretty if restrained aromas of herbal red fruit with minerals, gravel and some flowers. On the palate, there’s bright, somewhat intense red fruit with crunchy but smooth texture, and herbal, mineral and gravel accents. A surprising amount of body, perhaps reflecting the 13.5 percent ABV. Still quite structured, with tannins remaining, bright acidity and both complexity and balance. If I had to pick one Chinon as my absolute favorite regardless of vintage, this would probably be it.

Guion 2009 Bourgueil Cuvee des Deux Monts
This is remarkably good and a great value. Beautifully complex with lots of herbal and mineral elements complementing the vibrant red fruit. Balanced, with bright acidity, good structure and smooth texture. Excellent with Thanksgiving dinner and just as good the next night with takeout Chinese food. Have to get more Guions.

Mathieu Coste 2013 Coteaux du Giennois mc2
This 50/50 gamay/pinot noir blend starts out with slight brett on the nose, along with strawberries and flowers. On the palate, there is more strawberry along with earth and minerals and a bit of spritz. Very acidic, but that's generally to my liking. The next night, it’s much better. The brett and spritz are gone, leaving a really nice wine with strawberry/raspberry and a little flowers and perfume on the nose (with coaxing) and a more complex palate, with strawberry/raspberry fruit accented by lots of minerals, and some herbal and earthy complexity. Terrific, especially with food (sockeye in this case).

Clement et Florian Berthier 2014 Coteaux du Giennois Pinot Noir
The nose is absolutely gorgeous, with beautiful strawberry and cherry aromas along with plenty of roses and some minerals and spice. On the palate, there is bright Pinot strawberry/cherry fruit with mineral, earth and light cinnamon accents. Silky smooth with bright acidity. Excellent match with sockeye salmon. A great wine and a great value at $12.

Alain de la Treille 2014 Vin de France Pinot Noir
This is from the Loire and at under $10, it’s a great value. It has bright, pleasant, red fruit aromas and flavors, along with some earth. Nothing earth-shattering but a very nice quaff.

Clos Roche Blanche 2012 Touraine L'Arpent Rouge
Opened the first of four bottles, which for me will be the last ever of this great wine. It has very pretty, bright aromas of red fruit, pine, flowers and minerals. On the palate, there is more bright red fruit — perhaps a mix of cranberry and raspberry — with minerals, citrus and white pepper. It has smooth texture and good structure with plenty of acidity. It’s interesting, complex, unique and very enjoyable. I love pineau d’aunis and this is among the best versions of the grape I’ve ever had.

Domaine de l'Ecu 2014 Vin de France Rednoz
From a Muscadet producer, this is 70 percent cabernet sauvignon and 30 percent egiodola, a grape I’ve never heard of. It has a natural wine feel, with a little brett on the nose, tart fruit and a slight touch of spritz. But it’s also really good, with bright raspberry fruit, lots of minerals and some herbal notes, too. It’s nicely structured with a little tannic backbone and good acidity, and it has smooth texture and some balance and complexity. It makes for an excellent match with pot roast and pan-seared lion’s mane mushrooms. The next night, the brett and spritz are gone, leaving all the good stuff — great raspberry fruit with lots of minerals and touches of earth and herbs. Vibrant and enjoyable. Glad I got this.

Nice notes Bruce, it has been a great month here on Focus. I too have the 05 Baudry and was thinking of pulling from the cellar.

Nice notes Bruce, it has been a great month here on Focus. I too have the 05 Baudry and was thinking of pulling from the cellar.

Yes, indeed, those are very good descriptions. I don't recall having had a Coteaux du Giennois and I should definitely remedy that oversight.

I'm underweight on Baudry. Only three assorted bottles left. Something else to remedy .

Not quite the Loire, but was at dinner last night with some friends/colleagues and a nice Italian wine list. Of course my eyes were drawn to the north and their preferences would have led us to the south, so we settled in the middle with a delightful 2012 Foradori Ampeleia IGT Costa Toscana.

Obviously I'm a fan of Foradori but had never tasted her incursions into Tuscany. I was pleased to find that it was every bit as fresh and stylish as I would have expected. Everyone was satisfied. And technically there was some sangiovese and other stuff thrown in with the cabernet franc, but who's counting!