Pyrazine-o-mania. But squeaky clean, not a sweaty horse for miles. Decanted off a spade-full of chunky sediment. Rich and ripe (for Loire), clearly showing the vintage, but nothing roasted or cloying. Tomacco and clay-earth forward, potpourri and mineral, and some cran-cherry lurking in the background. Good complexity and ready to drink, but will moderate tannins still very much lapping at the gums.
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Sunday blinds (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. Pyrazines! Clearly Loire cabernet franc, and while this is still really green, there's a ripeness of fruit here that made me guess a riper vintage (2005). No roasted character here at all. There's a slight bit of animal funk on the nose, but this is relatively clean.
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Slightly turbid light red. Green olive, maybe a hint of brett. Light, full of soil, red fruited. While I've had variable experiences recently with this, I liked this bottle as a good rendition of Loire Cabernet Franc.
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Loire Night (San Francisco): Lighter ruby than the 2005. More secondary aromatics and truffles. Light to medium weight and feel. Combination of green and candied fruit-somewhat odd juxtaposition but good nonetheless. Much better than the library bottle I tried last week. This has been quite variable.
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Light red with faded rim. Peppery black fruit and just a touch of varietal olive. Typical light to medium weight, nice ripeness of black fruit without any overripeness, exhilarating acidity for the year, and a dose of remaining tannins. Fresh, not at all roasted, surprisingly elegant, and altogether much better than a weird, vegetal bottle tasted earlier in the year. Drink now and over the next 3 years anyway.
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Complex bouquet with ripe berries, black olive and a tarry asphalt aroma. Medium-bodied with great fruit. The finish is on the shorter side, but very refreshing. 3
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K&L Loire Flight (San Francisco): Light red, fading outer third. Another strange mix of fennel stalkiness and baked red fruit. Medium weight. Equally jarring on the palate with competing green, minty notes and chocolate in the background. Utterly unsatisfying.
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Another really good bottle of this, consistent with my last note. So vibrant and savoury with vivid tobacco and green herbal/forestal elements framing very pure red and dark fruited flavours. There's surprisingly bright acidity for the vintage and great balance, and this disappears rather quickly. Fantastic.
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Medium ruby, cloudy. Fairly pronounced nose of red fruit and herbs. Med-light body, medium tannin, medium-plus acidity, little noticeable alcohol. Tart red fruit. Medium-plus finish. Yum.
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This is fantastic. There's nothing remotely heavy, roasted or overripe here. The fruit's maybe a bit darker complexioned and richer than what I normally find in Breton's Cab Francs, but it's still incredibly pure and vibrant with a bright acid spine keeping it very well balanced and fresh, and it's lovely both on its own and with food.
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Medium center, lighter, tawny rim. Very fragrant with cassis fruit and mint. Lovely medium weight, ripe fruit with some sweetness, a strong ground coffee note, then ripe but fine grained tannins. Notably good acidity for a 2003. This is drinking wonderfully now and is free of overripeness or heat.
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Even, medium ruby. Mostly menthol and herbs on the nose, but some cherry fruit as well. Medium weight, blacker fruit with a spicy, chocolate aspect, good acidity, and surprisingly severe, drying tannins. Good, but the components were not nearly as well meshed as in a bottle we had last spring. Certainly not overly ripe, but the tannin seems as it though it will be pretty imposing going forward.
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Loire Spring Dinner (Heirloom Cafe, San Francisco): Saturated ruby. Intoxicating aromatic mix of mint and green herbs. Medium bodied (full for the universe of Loire Cabernet Franc). Gentle, carressing feel, excellent red fruit and olive, some herb. I don't think anyone would have guessed that this was from this notoriously hot vintage-not a trace of heat or overripeness. Marvelous and just beginning to round into form. This may be the best (and just about the only!!) 2003 European red that I own.
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Time has served this wine well. Still a bit stewy, but now, with another 3 years in bottle, this impresses as a warm richness. Compoted red and black fruits, with a bit of fresh tobacco and dried herbs. The structure that seemed missing in 2007 is here now. A really nice bottle of wine and completely unexpected.
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Heavy, dark and brooding. Primary aromas and flavors of stewed fruits. Clumsy and short on the finish and lacking zip and freshness. In this case, the Breton's winemaking prowess couldn't overcome the difficult vintage.
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5/3/2021 - ohne_musik wrote: 91 Points
Pyrazine-o-mania. But squeaky clean, not a sweaty horse for miles. Decanted off a spade-full of chunky sediment. Rich and ripe (for Loire), clearly showing the vintage, but nothing roasted or cloying. Tomacco and clay-earth forward, potpourri and mineral, and some cran-cherry lurking in the background. Good complexity and ready to drink, but will moderate tannins still very much lapping at the gums.
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7/15/2018 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Sunday blinds (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. Pyrazines! Clearly Loire cabernet franc, and while this is still really green, there's a ripeness of fruit here that made me guess a riper vintage (2005). No roasted character here at all. There's a slight bit of animal funk on the nose, but this is relatively clean.
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2/22/2018 - drwine2001 wrote:
Slightly turbid light red. Green olive, maybe a hint of brett. Light, full of soil, red fruited. While I've had variable experiences recently with this, I liked this bottle as a good rendition of Loire Cabernet Franc.
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3/21/2017 - gresch Likes this wine: 89 Points
From memory. Drinking nicely w/ perfect acidity and weight.
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1/30/2017 - drwine2001 wrote:
Loire Night (San Francisco): Lighter ruby than the 2005. More secondary aromatics and truffles. Light to medium weight and feel. Combination of green and candied fruit-somewhat odd juxtaposition but good nonetheless. Much better than the library bottle I tried last week. This has been quite variable.
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1/26/2017 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
Breton Bourgueil Perrières Vertical (Arlequin Wine Merchant, San Francisco): Sun kissed fruit. Compared to other vintages, this is nice and big ... it's even woven with dark, shiny, liquor-like threads.
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1/26/2017 - drwine2001 wrote:
Breton Bourgueil Perrières Vertical (Arlequin Wine Merchant, San Francisco): Light center. Roasted nose. Some red berry and olive in a relatively weightier package. Short finish. Not bad. One really tastes ripeness and sweetness that is absent in the other vintages.
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5/16/2016 - drwine2001 wrote:
Light red with faded rim. Peppery black fruit and just a touch of varietal olive. Typical light to medium weight, nice ripeness of black fruit without any overripeness, exhilarating acidity for the year, and a dose of remaining tannins. Fresh, not at all roasted, surprisingly elegant, and altogether much better than a weird, vegetal bottle tasted earlier in the year. Drink now and over the next 3 years anyway.
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4/14/2016 - magyarsvensk Likes this wine:
Complex bouquet with ripe berries, black olive and a tarry asphalt aroma. Medium-bodied with great fruit. The finish is on the shorter side, but very refreshing. 3
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1/9/2016 - drwine2001 wrote:
K&L Loire Flight (San Francisco): Light red, fading outer third. Another strange mix of fennel stalkiness and baked red fruit. Medium weight. Equally jarring on the palate with competing green, minty notes and chocolate in the background. Utterly unsatisfying.
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10/1/2013 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
I reiterate my last note: Yum.
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10/1/2013 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Another really good bottle of this, consistent with my last note. So vibrant and savoury with vivid tobacco and green herbal/forestal elements framing very pure red and dark fruited flavours. There's surprisingly bright acidity for the vintage and great balance, and this disappears rather quickly. Fantastic.
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8/13/2013 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 91 Points
Medium ruby, cloudy. Fairly pronounced nose of red fruit and herbs. Med-light body, medium tannin, medium-plus acidity, little noticeable alcohol. Tart red fruit. Medium-plus finish. Yum.
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8/13/2013 - salil wrote: 92 Points
This is fantastic. There's nothing remotely heavy, roasted or overripe here. The fruit's maybe a bit darker complexioned and richer than what I normally find in Breton's Cab Francs, but it's still incredibly pure and vibrant with a bright acid spine keeping it very well balanced and fresh, and it's lovely both on its own and with food.
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3/31/2013 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium center, lighter, tawny rim. Very fragrant with cassis fruit and mint. Lovely medium weight, ripe fruit with some sweetness, a strong ground coffee note, then ripe but fine grained tannins. Notably good acidity for a 2003. This is drinking wonderfully now and is free of overripeness or heat.
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12/27/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Even, medium ruby. Mostly menthol and herbs on the nose, but some cherry fruit as well. Medium weight, blacker fruit with a spicy, chocolate aspect, good acidity, and surprisingly severe, drying tannins. Good, but the components were not nearly as well meshed as in a bottle we had last spring. Certainly not overly ripe, but the tannin seems as it though it will be pretty imposing going forward.
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4/29/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Loire Spring Dinner (Heirloom Cafe, San Francisco): Saturated ruby. Intoxicating aromatic mix of mint and green herbs. Medium bodied (full for the universe of Loire Cabernet Franc). Gentle, carressing feel, excellent red fruit and olive, some herb. I don't think anyone would have guessed that this was from this notoriously hot vintage-not a trace of heat or overripeness. Marvelous and just beginning to round into form. This may be the best (and just about the only!!) 2003 European red that I own.
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1/16/2011 - JamesSanders wrote: 91 Points
Time has served this wine well. Still a bit stewy, but now, with another 3 years in bottle, this impresses as a warm richness. Compoted red and black fruits, with a bit of fresh tobacco and dried herbs. The structure that seemed missing in 2007 is here now. A really nice bottle of wine and completely unexpected.
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12/26/2007 - JamesSanders wrote:
Heavy, dark and brooding. Primary aromas and flavors of stewed fruits. Clumsy and short on the finish and lacking zip and freshness. In this case, the Breton's winemaking prowess couldn't overcome the difficult vintage.
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