Community Tasting Notes 14

• henbjo wrote: flawed

  December 21, 2022 - Mørke bær og urter, syrlig og juicy i munnen, nesten ingen tanniner. Sliten i frukten. Lakris og lær. Over middagshøyden. Langt slankere i stilen enn Cuvee Violette fra samme årgang og kjeller smakt for et års tid siden.

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• forceberry wrote:

  May 9, 2022 - The fruit is sourced from biodynamically farmed Cabernet Franc vineyards averaging 50 yo. Fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for approximately a month. Aged for 12 months in used (5-7 yo) 228-liter pièces, followed by 6 months in a large tank. 12% alcohol. Tasted blind.
  
  Evolved, rusty and somewhat translucent blackish-red color. Very evolved, somewhat oxidative and quite umami-heavy nose with aromas of tomato soup, some herbaceous leafy tones, a little bit of wizened blackcurrant, light oxidative notes of beef jerky and raisiny dark fruit, a hint of earth and a touch of cigar wrapper. The wine feels dry, somewhat leafy and a bit thin on the palate with a light-to-medium body and somewhat tertiary flavors of crunchy cranberries, some herbaceous leafy nuances, a little bit of sweet raisiny dark fruit, light earthy notes, a hint of ripe redcurrant and an oxidative touch of soy sauce. The wine retains still quite a bit of structure with its high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is very evolved, moderately grippy and a bit on the thin side with dry flavors of fresh blackcurrants, some earth, a little bit of beef jerky, light oxidative notes of choppy notes, a hint of sweet raisiny fruit and a touch of ripe redcurrant.
  
  I sniffed the wine once, tasted it once, then said that this is obviously a Cabernet Franc from Loire. However, based on the quite light and restrained style I said it isn't Chinon, but perhaps Bourgueil or Anjou. Bingo. However, I had missed out that the wine was said to be 2013, so I guessed something from the mid-1990's - perhaps 1995 or 1996. I was floored when the wine was revealed to be Clau de Nell's Cabernet Franc 2013 - not only because I had thought the wine was some 15-20 years older than it actually was, but also because I had tasted this exact same wine (blind then as well) only a year ago, when I guessed it was a Cab Franc-driven right-bank Bordeaux red! The bottle we had a year ago was in a great condition with potential for future development, this felt like a wine past its prime. This would've been pretty lovely for a mid-1990's Cab Franc, but knowing what the wine was and how it should've been, this was a disappointment. The person who brought the wine told the cork seemed like it could've let some air in, so it's possible that the closure was the culprit this time. Shucks.

  Comment

• pclin wrote: 86 points

  April 7, 2022 - PnP. ABV 12%.
  Floral with Cabernet Franc funk, very nice. High acidity, fine tannins but showing slight dryness on mid-palate. Lightly extracted style of wine making. With such low ABV, absolutely no hint of alcohol at backend, my kind of wine. Almost too easy drinking at the moment, should develop more complexity with age. As this sits in the glass, continue to become even more acidic, almost excessive, hmmmm.

  1 person found this helpful Comment

• winejd Likes this wine:

  November 5, 2021 - Not spectacular, a little "flat", but admitting that I'm somewhat of a Cabernet Franc rookie when it comes to the 100% level.

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• forceberry wrote: 94 points

  February 16, 2021 - The fruit is sourced from biodynamically farmed Cabernet Franc vineyards averaging 50 yo. Fermented spontaneously, macerated with the skins for approximately a month. Aged for 12 months in used (5-7 yo) 228-liter pièces, followed by 6 months in a large tank. 12% alcohol. Tasted blind.
  
  Translucent, deep and luminous cherry red color. Savory and slightly phenolic nose that feels subtly more restrained than that of Clau de Nell Violette 2013 that was tasted alongside; aromas of dried old leather, some fresh blackcurrant, light savory notes of bretty funk, a little bit of cigar, a floral hint of violets and a herbaceous touch of leafy greenness. The wine feels lively, crunchy and relatively tightly-knit on the palate with a medium body and quite intense flavors of fresh redcurrants and red gooseberries, some tobacco, a little bit of bretty funk and leather, light ferrous notes of blood, tart hints of fresh red plums and sour cherry bitterness and a juicy touch of meaty umami. The overall impression is quite structure-driven - thanks to the high acidity and quite grippy tannins - and thus somewhat leaner compared to the Cuvée Violette. The finish is dry, long and rather grippy with focused, savory flavors of tart cranberries, fresh redcurrants and some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of bretty leather, light smoky notes of phenolic spice, a hint of tobacco and a subtly woody touch of cedary old oak.
  
  A beautifully serious, tightly-knit and unapologetic Loire Cab Franc. I thought this was very similar to the 2013 Cuvée Violette that was tasted alongside, but while Violette seemed slightly fruitier, more supple and a bit more approachable, this wine felt leaner and more structured in comparison. Although the wine showing a bit of aged qualities, I can imagine it will continue to improve for a long time. Most likely the fruit will fade before the tannins resolve. All in all, a very well-made, old-school Cab Franc. As I thought Cuvée Violette was a left bank Bordeaux and this was quite similar to it, my guess for this wine was a classicist right bank Bordeaux from the 2000's with emphasis on Cabernet Franc. Well, my guess was rather wrong, but at least I recognized the grape variety!

  2 people found this helpful Comment

Pro Reviews 1

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2013
• Type Red
• Producer Clau De Nell
• Varietal Cabernet Franc
• Designation Rouge
• Vineyard n/a
• Country France
• Region Loire Valley
• SubRegion Anjou-Saumur
• Appellation Anjou

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 0 (0%)
• In Cellars 58 (42%)
• Consumed 80 (58%)

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