2014 Clau De Nell Cabernet Franc Anjou Rouge

Community Tasting Notes (7) Avg Score: 93.2 points

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  2/20/2024 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Well, I was wrong - this is even better than before. No change to the lovely peony-driven nose, but on the palate, the edges have softened and the wine is gaining in length and complexity, promising even more to come. The strawberry and red cherry flavours are great, but the raspberry sherbet is now like a descant mid-palate, all very impressive rather than just charming. One of my favourites from 2014 with the potential to become a really outstanding Loire CF in another two years. Excellent value too.

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  4/10/2023 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 93 Points

  No change in the last year, this continues to be a real corker of a wine, with a nose to die for, the perfect Easter wine with its notes of spring flowers, especially peonies. Still plenty of crunchy red fruits which are delightful, perhaps a little more complexity creeping in on the finish, but this is so enjoyable now that it is hard to see how it could improve.

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  3/27/2022 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Just as wonderful as the last bottle in December 2020, this has a charming blend of spring flowers and fruits on the nose, slightly more candied this time, then a crunchy attack of red fruits, mainly redcurrant and red cherry, before striking notes of violet and dark raspberry and a sweet but crisp finish.
  Excellent and much better than the 2015 and 2016.
  Tasted alongside, the 2015 struggled, although it did show promise for the future.

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  12/23/2020 - whits wrote: 93 Points

  Floral and vegetative scents, nicely balanced with uplifting acidity, engaging the tongue right away, it opens with bright cherry and tomato flavors before stroking the palate with red plum, iron and mineral accents, medium bodied with polished tannins, perfect match with braised short ribs, beauty

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  12/1/2020 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 93 Points

  For once, the term "bouquet" is not a misnomer: the aromas really are like a bouquet, with strong notes of spring flowers, strawberry and red cherry - very attractive indeed.
  The attack is along the same lines: fresh tastes of red cherry, strawberry, elderflower and a hint of rose-hip. It's not of the crunchy fruit variety, this is more refined and delicate, the lines are more pastel than boldly drawn, it's the epitome of a truly lovely wine. At this stage, the finish is a little lacking in intensity, as if that would be too vulgar, but there is enough going on to suggest that it will be more persistent in time. It's from a bio-dynamic producer, it tastes like there isn't much sulphur, but it has none of the pitfalls of natural or nearly-natural wines - no faults whatsoever.
  
  This is the perfect wine for a sunny spring day, when the first flowers are out and you can at last eat outside again, but it would be just as good as an antidote for a really cold night in January, because it tastes so full of the joys of spring.
  
  This is the first time I have tried a wine from this producer and as you can tell, I loved it and will be going back for a lot more.

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View all 7 Community Tasting Notes

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