WTN: 04 Domaine des Corbillieres TOURAINE, Cabernet

The Loire Valley is very unknown territory for me, so I am taking a step in the dark with this wine. I ran across it at Total Wine in Cherry Hill a couple of days ago.

Day 1: Purplish to deep crimson color. Vegetal waft on the nose, asparagus? Odd. Eventually in the glass more violet candy on the nose, reminding me of an Italian Teroldego Rotaliano I had recently. Raspberry pop-tart filling, smooth tannins, and present acidity. I look forward to having the rest of the bottle at dinner tomorrow night.

reminding me of an Italian Teroldego Rotaliano.

Never heard of the producer but I think you are spot on in comparing Loire cabernet franc to Teroldego. So if you like the latter you will find plenty to enjoy and explore in the Loire, and even better the wines are well-priced, and have been on a string of very solid vintages so there is lots of good wine in the pipeline. Assuming you're shopping in the right places

For names of the better producers you should find plenty in the archives. But to name just one, for me Bernard Baudry in Chinon is on fire recently.

I have only limited experience with this producer, but based on that, I would not put it in the top tier of Loire winemakers. A further strike against it, for me, is that it's imported by Robert Kacher, whose focus is Rhone and southern France and often brings in wines that get high Parker points, though some (e.g., Ogier) are quite nice.

I totally echo what Rahsaan said about Baudry Chinons (good luck finding any in Penna., though). If you ever find a Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Cabernet, grab it up -- a much better producer, IMO. The other thing I'd say is if you're going over the bridge to Joisey to get your wines, go to Moore Brothers -- they should have some Loire Cab Francs and while most of their producers are unfamiliar to me, they seem to do a decent job of selecting good, obscure wines.

I totally echo what Rahsaan said about Baudry Chinons (good luck finding any in Penna., though). If you ever find a Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Cabernet, grab it up -- a much better producer, IMO..

Much better producer? Really?

For me its hard to compare, because Baudry is exclusively cabernet franc while I think of Clos Roche Blanche as the cot, sauvignon blanc, and gamay people. I know they do cabernet as well, but I guess I've just focused on the others (plus, isn't their cabernet sometimes a blend of franc and sauvignon).

CRB is probably better QPR, but Baudry's Croix Boissee and Grezeaux are Regal Wines..

Anyway, the moral of the story is that we should all Buy Both and continue to update our preferences on these excellent producers. And, with their prices one can actually afford to buy both

What I thought I wrote was that CRB is a much better producer than Corbillieres, not Baudry. Re-reading it, though, I can see why I left that impression. If I had to pick a single favorite producer of Loire reds, it would, in fact, be Baudry, though Breton, Olga Raffault and Taluau would be close. But CRB offers great value and more diversity.

What I thought I wrote was that CRB is a much better producer than Corbillieres, not Baudry..

Ok, that makes sense..

reminding me of an Italian Teroldego Rotaliano.

Never heard of the producer but I think you are spot on in comparing Loire cabernet franc to Teroldego. So if you like the latter you will find plenty to enjoy and explore in the Loire, and even better the wines are well-priced, and have been on a string of very solid vintages so there is lots of good wine in the pipeline. Assuming you're shopping in the right places

For names of the better producers you should find plenty in the archives. But to name just one, for me Bernard Baudry in Chinon is on fire recently.

Thanks for the information and the affirmation, Rahsaan!

What I thought I wrote was that CRB is a much better producer than Corbillieres, not Baudry. Re-reading it, though, I can see why I left that impression. If I had to pick a single favorite producer of Loire reds, it would, in fact, be Baudry, though Breton, Olga Raffault and Taluau would be close. But CRB offers great value and more diversity.

Thanks for the info, Bruce!

reminding me of an Italian Teroldego Rotaliano.

Never heard of the producer but I think you are spot on in comparing Loire cabernet franc to Teroldego. So if you like the latter you will find plenty to enjoy and explore in the Loire, and even better the wines are well-priced, and have been on a string of very solid vintages so there is lots of good wine in the pipeline. Assuming you're shopping in the right places

For names of the better producers you should find plenty in the archives. But to name just one, for me Bernard Baudry in Chinon is on fire recently.

Now that I am having this wine on day 2, I would say it has more purplish fruit than a Teroldego which has more of a deep red raspberry fruit, however both reek of violet candy. It is pairing well with my penne pasta in tomato/garlic/pepperoncino sauce and parmeggiano cheese. I find this wine intriguing with a long finish, and quite velvetty. I like it but I don't love it - the asparagus on the nose takes getting used to.

I like it but I don't love it - the asparagus on the nose takes getting used to.

In part a function of poor winemaking.

Yes cabernet franc from the Loire is more "herbal" than wines from the Languedoc, but don't worry, the better examples should not taste like asparagus.

Glad you were intrigued!

I like it but I don't love it - the asparagus on the nose takes getting used to.

In part a function of poor winemaking.

Yes cabernet franc from the Loire is more "herbal" than wines from the Languedoc, but don't worry, the better examples should not taste like asparagus.

Glad you were intrigued!

that is good to hear. I look forward to discovering other producers of this region. Sangiovese can be herbal at times, but I had never experienced a whole field of asparagus before getting to the wine. I'm glad I've had this experience - will make it all the sweeter when I find a wine that is a little more balanced.

Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Cabernet

Had a glass of this (the 2005) for the first time last night. These wines get to the Pacific NW about as slow as the arrival of summer.

There was nothing green here, a little bigger and more exuberant than the 04 CRB Cab, but with beautiful balance. Almost in the regal category, for the huge splurge of $14. I think the 05 Loire Cabs will appeal to a wide range of people, those starting to exploring the wines and Loire aficionados alike. The 05 Filliatreau Grande Vignolle Saumur is another wine that should be a crowd pleaser too.

Great to see you exploring the Loire, Paulo. I love reading your notes.