May 10, 2024 - In a blind setting of 12 cabernet francs, I rated this the best wine overall. I did not know at all it was this wine. I though this one would finish in the middle of the 12 wines. Not the most extravagant, in your face, but an amazing balance and elegance that charmed me. It finished 3rd overall in the group. This is really a wine that you should age.
April 28, 2024 - Similarnote to Thijs; elegant green notes, dark cherry, some cranberry, good acidity, didn't get much barnyard. Lovely elegant wine, drinking at its apogee now.
April 23, 2024 - Dinner at Coulisse (Amsterdam, NL): [Restaurant purchase] This showed beautifully tonight. Medium+ intensity on the nose with typical CF aroma’s but in an complex and elegant way: green bell bell pepper, hint of barnyard, earthiness, red fruit, cranberry. Medium+ acidity, long finish. 93-94
March 3, 2024 - Well balanced, easy to drink, good!
December 19, 2023 - Yet another Terroir Tuesday at Table, Donkey and Stick ft. Clos Rougeard (Chicago, IL): Great density; this feels like it has filled out a bit since I had it on release a few years ago. Moderate earthiness, not too much pyrazine, and just a little rustic barnyard here. Quite pleasant now, but overshadowed by the far more convincing 2017.
November 18, 2023 - Just a beautiful cab franc, tannins are smooth, fragrant, delicious.
October 21, 2023 - Very brett dominated wine with barnyard notes / animal funk - too much for my palate to still fully enjoy. The fruit is slightly oxidized in this bottle, more iodine and forest floor flavors, violets and graphite, hint of salty minerality, a bright but slightly volatile acidity with some green pickle flavors. Fine tannic structure, with still a bit of grip. Overall, I found this was a rather rustic and somewhat unbalanced wine. I was a bit underwhelmed, but maybe this just not my style of wine. The other Loire Cabernet Francs tonight did not thrill me either. - 90 points
October 8, 2023 - Beautiful dark, clear ruby color and a dynamite nose of red fruit, herbs, hay, and barnyard. When this beauty hits the palate, that nose just unfolds and the volume of flavor on a mid-weight frame expands. There's grip, but nothing harsh. This has an elegant texture, but the flavor is rustic. It's got slate-like minerality, softness, wet haw, evergreen forest, and animal funk. You can go ahead and dive in. It's ready and not holding back, but it's also young and has a lot of time left.
August 31, 2023 - PnP'ed. Brought this to a (2nd-round) drinks session. This initially had that bit of "natural'ish" note, but gradually blew off, showing notes of dark-cherries, plums, toast/smoke & florals that came forth, with that teeny bit of leafy'ness in tow. This was so suave & elegant on the palate, with grippy (but silky) tannins. Nice concentration of blue-to-dark berries/fruits, this was certainly drinking well. Most if not all guessed Burgundy (mostly Gevrey, Morey) with just a single exception. No doubt it'll be even better with more cellar-age and complexity.
August 28, 2023 - Louis brought this interesting wine to the family gathering. It was my first Cabernet Franc wine from Loire. The pale ruby color was similar to my familier Pinot, so as the nose with more oaky feel. The palate was sharp but structured to age well.