Loire Cabernet Franc tasting

Our first deeper look into the genre. You can find some people - even critics - who are so passionate about these wines, even though it seems that the wines are not appreciated by the wider public. Their loss? Yes! At least these wines were really nice, with character, drinkability, Old World charme. None of them was green or too vegetal, though many were from the good 2009 vintage. I was especially interested how they compare to Cabernet Francs from Hungary, where it is very popular and also made as a 100% varietal wine. It is most prominent in Villány, where C. Franc is regarded as the flagship grape/wine by many. I must admit I found a lot more interest in the Loire Francs, the Hungarians are bigger, riper with usually a lot of oak. They can also be nice, but totally different in style.

• 2009 Couly-Dutheil Chinon Les Gravieres d'Amador Abbe de Turpenay 86 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon

  What a nice wine, so drinkable. Still very young. Purple hints in the color. Wonderfully fresh nose with cherries, blueberries, raspberries, violets, and Cabernet Franc's juniper-like spicy-veggie notes. Nothing green here though, no excessive paprika (methoxypyrazine), just pure varietal expression. Completely dry on the palate, light, with moderate alcohol (ABV 12.5%) and good acidity. Some ripe tannins are there too. Aromas of purple berries, blueberries, some cherry, and that juniper again. No oak. Not a really complex wine but it's not a complaint. I want more. 86-87 points

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• 2009 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Trinch! 87 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil

  Almost sulphite free wine, but there is nothing weird about it, it's clean and bright. No oak on this, aged in steel tanks. Dark purplish red color. Smells still very primary, very fresh, cool climate style, but on the other hand, also perfectly ripe. Rather dark fruits on the nose, blackberry, black cherry, black currant, with sweet violet and some funky notes. Also shows Cabernet Franc's spicy-vegetal aromas, but not green at all. On the palate it has some density, but still light on it's feet (yeah, ABV 12.5%), and bone dry. Seems to be somewhat closed and disjointed now, flavors are not really intense, acidity a bit sharp, tannins firmish. Good length though. A lot of interest here, but maybe it's not ready. I'm surprised by declaring it as an early drinking wine, I think it needs time (and a better closure than a plastic cork). Or at least a long decanting. 86-87 points.

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• 2009 Domaine Langlois-Château Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil 87 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil

  Cabernet Franc spice on the nose, juniper, coriander, some vegetal notes, but it's not overt, matched by ripe fruits, blackcurrant and cherry. Light-medium body thanks to the moderate 12.5% alcohol, there is no sweetness or heat here. Pronounced Franc aroma on the palate. Medium acidity and tannin add structure to it, but it's still an easy drinking wine. Perhaps lacks some concentration, but really pleasant.

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• 2009 Yannick Amirault Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil La Source 90 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil

  This is perfectly ripe, definitely not a green Loire red. Lovely old school Old World style, no vanilla, no sweetness, no high alcohol, not forced. Dark violet color. Dark fruits on the nose, like blackberry, black cherry, with cedar, spicy notes and some leather as well. Smells serious. Bone dry and structured palate, with integrated acidity and firm tannins. Low alcohol (I think 12.5% ABV) but still has density. The spicy-woody aromas of the Cabernet Franc maybe more pronounced on the palate. Sinewy and charming. Will evolve for many years. Highly recommended.

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• 2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux 91 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon

  Deep violet color, suggesting a very young wine. First sniff reveals brett with those animal notes. Well, it would be better without it, but still nice. Leather, black cherries, graphite on the nose, and it is also spicy. Quite ripe actually, but far from being jammy or baked. Linear palate with a lot of flesh, and a great structure to match it. Firm, but ripe tannins, good acidity. Full-bodied, but not in the glycerol/high alcohol way, ABV is still moderate (a perfect 13%). Well balanced, great depth, nice aftertaste. At 13 euros it's a steal.

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• 2003 Couly-Dutheil Chinon Clos de l'Echo 91 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon

  Beautiful nose of tobacco, forest floor, tar, mushrooms, paprika, bay leaf, licorice - a great, mature Cabernet with real complexity. Slowly mellowing on the palate, but still has good concentration; acidity nicely integrated, it's fully dry. Tannins still firm. Bordeaux-like. Serious wine. Drink from now, but no hurry, will hold for a few more years easily.

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• 2004 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeux 93 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny

  Medium garnet red. Lots of oak at first sniff, but not the sweet-vanilla action, and it tones down after a longer air contact. Nose is intense, still very young, with cranberry, cherry, black cherry, smoke and some mushrooms. Not obviously Cabernet Franc, and definitely not the Bordeaux school. Palate reinforces what the nose suggests: it's a Burgundy in it's heart! Not extracted, has almost no weight, but still has impact. So integrated that you almost cannot perceive acid, tannin or alcohol, yet everything is there. So seamless. Not an in your face fruitbomb, but makes you thinking. A wine of subtlety and refinement. It's a Burgundy made from Cabernet Franc grapes. Would put many expensive Burgundies in the shade. I wish I could follow a whole bottle developing through days, my rating would most likely go higher. 92-93 points

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(Wines bought at nywines.co.uk[Couly-Dutheil Les Gravieres, Breton, Yannick Amirault], www.noblewine.de [Baudry, Clos de l'Echo, Clos Rougeard] and borszer.hu [Langlois])