Loire

The 2013 Saumur Champigny Le Bourg opens delicate like a Burgundy, with floral as well as flinty and toasty aromas but also intense red fruit and dark cherry ones. Pure, fine, and juicy on the palate, this is a silky-elegant Le Bourg with fine tannins and a long, salty and mineral finish. -Wine Advocate

From a single 1.5 hectare monopole vineyard in Bizay. Fermented in 600-litre demi-muids.

Almost sour citrus, like lime pickle? Very structured, with taut acidity. Honey too, but overall the acid and citric sharpness rules. Quite an onslaught, but in a good way. 

Drink 2017 - 2027

Richard Hemming MW, JancisRobinson.com (October 2017)

From 45-year-old vines, macerated for 30-35 days ("just infusion, no extraction") and aged in old barrels for 12 months plus six months in tanks, the 2016 Anjou Cabernet Franc is pure and intense on the nose that reveals finely concentrated raspberry, red cherry and tobacco aromas. Pure, intense and fresh on the palate, this is a silky-textured, refined, elegant red with fine tannins and vibrantly mineral acidity. Tart on the finish but full of character. Excellent. Bottled at the end of April 2017.

Drink 2022 - 2036

Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate (October 2021)

The 2017 has more complexity and depth than the 2018. Selection from 60-to-70-year-old vines, aged 18 months in cement tank. Classic nose of violet, blackberry, black pepper and even a touch of jalapeño. This is very straight and savoury in the mouth, featuring black cherry, black olive, bay leaf and layers of dark minerality. The finish is attractive and long, full of smoke and tobacco leaf.

The father-and-son team of Philippe and Pierre Alliet have raised the bar for what’s possible with Loire Cabernet Franc and are now running one of the top domaines in Chinon. Pierre now mostly runs the estate's day-to-day, with 18 hectares of Cabernet Franc and a single hectare of Chenin Blanc. One thing he’s introduced is using more cement tanks and less oak. The south-facing limestone slope of L’Huisserie and the steep site called Côteau de Noire are two of the top single vineyards in all of Chinon.

Drink 2020 - 2032

Jason Wilson, Vinous.com (July 2020)

The 2018 Val de Loire Grolleau opens with a light reduction on the nose that is clear, fresh and spicy, with fresh raspberry, blackberry and elegant flinty aromas. Silky, fresh and elegant on the palate, this is a fleshy, sweet, silky-textured but generous red with fine tannins and a sleek, crystalline and concentrated tart finish. It needs some time, but this is excellent and generous. Tasted in June 2021.

Located 24 kilometres west of Saumur in Ambillou-Château in the very east of the Anjou appellation and almost bordering the Saumur AC, the 10-hectare Domaine Clau de Nell, purchased by Anne Claude Leflaive and her husband Christian in 2008 and today managed by winemaker (and shareholder) Sylvain Potin, offers a small but fine range of white and red wines from one block with a homogenous soil of clay, silex and sandstone, the latter gives the wines their characteristic energy and tension.

The organically farmed, south-facing and wind-exposed vineyards are about 100 meters above sea level and are surrounded by forests, grassland, grain fields and a tree farm, which gives a large natural diversity and protection against pollution.

Drink 2023 - 2040

The new vintages see 50% cement tank and 50% large 500l wood barrels; however, the 2018 was aged in 100% cement vats for 18 months.

This cuvée  comes from a selection of 70-year-old vines, which sit just behind the winery. Lovely dark fruit aromas of cherry and fresh plum predominate, intertwined with black pepper and a stunning wet stone freshness. The palate has lovely notes of sweet spices alongside bright black fruits. Offering good length and balance, this is a lovely entry level Chinon.

Drink 2024 - 2032

Yoan Bernard, Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Nady Foucault working here on a consultation basis brings the obvious question, ‘Will this estate be the next Clos Rougeard?’. You get a hint of that ethereal nature in this cuvée, and that’s no surprise given the immense care taken, including four levels of sorting after harvest. 

Bright red cherry, raspberry and violets greet you in the glass and are carried by fine ripe tannins and zippy acidity. A garrigue and spicy nature complements the taut fresh notes and gives you a refreshing and clean finish. This is an instantly enjoyable Cabernet Franc that I’ve no doubt will continue to evolve and add further complexity over the next 10+ years. 

James Belok, Private Client Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Clos de la Dioterie is a northeast-facing vineyard on the left bank of the Vienne River that's on limestone clay. This is one of the last parcels to be harvested. The 2020 barrel sample offers a delightful texture - exuding a fine, chalky grain. It is almost creamy-rich in style, and yet this being Loire Cabernet Franc, it retains its elegance and shape. This is a ripe, black-fruited style with plentiful oak and long length. A fragrance of tea leaf, smoke and spice lingers long on the sinewy, focused finish, undoubtedly thanks to the limestone sub-soil.

A leading light in Chinon, the now-organic estate was founded in 1957 by Charles Joguet, a Chinon native sculptor and painter with an atelier in Montmartre. Joguet returned to found his domaine at a time when vines were part of a mixed farming approach – putting all your eggs in one basket was not the done thing. But the Burgundy wine lover was an artist, and artistic types tend to get away with taking an alternative approach, which soon became the norm.

The Genet family have owned the estate since 1997 and had partnered with Joguet for a decade before the takeover. With 30 hectares of vines, of which 28ha are Cabernet Franc and 2ha are Chenin, the estate makes a wide range of Chinons, but fine wine lovers will best know it for its cuvées Clos du Chêne Vert and Clos de la Dioterie.

Drink 2022 - 2030

Domaine des Closiers is the project of Anatole de la Brosse, who fell in love with wine and became friends with Nady Foucault of Clos Rougeard before setting up this domaine. This is a blend of all the estate’s holdings, giving a wonderfully pure and refined expression of Cabernet Franc. The grapes are de-stemmed and undergo a very gentle maceration before ageing for 8-10 months in stainless-steel tank. This is delightfully perfumed with lovely, lifted aromas of flowers, cherry fruit and graphite. The palate has beautifully pure and crunchy red and black fruit and a fine, refreshing finish typical of this producer.

Drink now to 2028

Adam Bruntlett, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

This cool and elegant Sancerre is made for us by 10th-generation vigneron David Sautereau. The nose is fresh and mineral, with citrus fruits mingling with crushed stone. In the mouth, the attack is precise, crisp and energetic, with pleasing mid-palate weight and a saline finish. This is excellent with fresh seafood or the local crottin de Chavignol goat’s cheese.

Drink 2024 - 2026

Adam Bruntlett, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd