TNs: Loire Cab Francs with 13+ years on them

WINE TALK
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CAB FRANCS THAT ARE READY FOR A BAR-MITVAH (AND OLDER) - Chez Simo Bistro, Chicago IL (1/9/2019)

I have been wanting to do an older Cab Franc dinner for a bit and it felt right to start the year off with that. Even better was to do it at one of my favorite french bistros in the city along with us opening up bistro wines. I wasn’t sure how to define older, so a friend stepped in and cheekily said let’s do them when they are ready for a Bar-Mitzvah and older. So, it came to pass that this all happened like that.

Taste: Full bodied with high acidity. The acidity shows youth as there is a sharpness to it but it isn’t overpowering. The feel is lively and balanced with brioche, red apples, quince, roasted nuts, baked pears, saline, and some cherries.

Overall: This was a 2013 base. It is extremely expressive right now along with showing off a lot of depth and class. I really like how it is right now, but it does have some legs on it to age another 3+ years easily. (92 pts.)

  • 2005 Domaine de la Butte Bourgueil Mi-pente - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
    Nose: The nose is aromatic, with an herbal tinge to it baked up by tones of violets, chalk, red cherries, crushed rocks, tobacco notes, and some leather. The nose relies on elegance and perfume while possessing excellent depth.

Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium+ acidity and medium+ tannins. The acidity is refreshing with the tannins showing a silkiness to them. The feel is refined and elegant with root vegetables, violets, red cherries, crushed rocks, and tobacco notes.

Overall: This is drinking in a great spot right now. It is an outstanding Bourgueil that has many years to go, but it is wonderful almost right out of the gate. It did need a slight bit of air to get revved up, but it was sailing once it did. (92 pts.)

  • 1999 Charles Joguet Chinon Clos de la Dioterie - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
    Nose: The nose is aromatic and balanced with herbal tones, earth notes, red cherries, violets, leather, and crushed rocks. While this is rearing to go right away, it does lack some depth that would put it in the next tier.

Taste: The feel is medium bodied with medium+ acidity and medium+ tannins. The structure still shows some youth despite it’s approaching 20 years as the tannins still posses a firmness to them. The feel is well balanced with earth tones, herbs, red cherries, crushed rocks, and leather notes.

Overall: This feels like it’s as good as it will get. There is an elegant side to it along with excellent balance. It does lack a little depth compared to some of the other wines, but it’s in a great spot and feels like it will stay at this level for a good, long while. (90 pts.)

  • 1985 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
    Nose: With a little air, the nose soared and filled the glass with red cherries, violets, leather notes, raspberries, tobacco, herbs, root vegetables, and funk notes.

Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and medium tannins. The tannins are silky and fairly resolved with the acidity showing a lively side. The feel is refined and deep with red cherries, violets, leather, root vegetables, herbs, and raspberries.

Overall: This was from a library release and it was wonderful. The nose was extremely aromatic once it got going and the feel showed a ton of depth. This is what Olga Raffault and mature Chinon is all about. (94 pts.)

  • 2002 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
    Nose: The nose showed off excellent depth and elegance with tobacco notes, red cherries, cranberries, herbs, roses, vanilla beans, and leather tones.

Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and medium tannins. The tannins are a little chalky but the feel is refined with tobacco notes, red cherries, cranberries, herbs, roses, and leather tones.

Overall: This was an original bottle and it was drinking beautifully. This felt extremely youthful compared to the 85, but it too showed off a sense of refinement and excellent depth. The only thing this lacked was that next gear of layering and upper aromatics, but it is an outstanding wine that is extremely enjoyable. (92 pts.)

  • 1995 Catherine et Pierre Breton Bourgueil Les Perrières - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
    Nose: Immediately the nose is soaring, layered, and extremely deep with red cherries, raspberries, earth, pipe tobacco, herbs, leather tones, and roasted meats. This was one of those times where one just buries their nose into the glass and soaks in all of the gorgeous tones.

Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium+ acidity and medium tannins. The structure is fairly resolved now, but the tannins are still there in a supporting role. The feel is silky and refined with red cherries, raspberries, herbs, tobacco notes, leather, and some roasted meats.

Overall: This was just tremendous and a testament to what Cabernet Franc can do with a good amount of age to it. There is a robustness to it, but with an elegant side that captures the imagination real fast. I don’t see where else this can go, but it doesn’t feel like it will be falling off a cliff any time soon. (94 pts.)

  • 1989 Couly-Dutheil Chinon Clos de l’Olive - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
    Nose: The nose is highly aromatic and balanced from the get go with red cherries, leather, tobacco, herbs, vegetable tones, earth notes, cranberries, and some raspberries. The tones have melded together beautifully with time and there is a lovely layering effect to it all as well.

Taste: Medium bodied with medium tannins and medium+ acidity. The structure itself is fairly resolved, but the tannins and acid are still there for support. The feel is refined with red cherries, raspberries, leather, tobacco, vegetables, herbs, and earth tones.

Overall: This was a gorgeous and mature Chinon. I don’t see how this can get better and while it doesn’t feel like it is hanging on by a thread, it is at it’s peak right now and it should be fully enjoyed. (93 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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Wow. Fantastic lineup.

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Awesome notes, thx

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Great notes! I have some of these in the cellar, so pretty happy to hear they’re generally showing well.

Elliot

PS how much air did you give them (and what do you recommend)? Especially interested in regard to the Couly-Dutheil.

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Keith,
Great notes and a terrific lineup.
That '85 Olga Raffault has been showing so well for a while now. Terrific wine.
Never had a Breton with that kind of age. Sound great.

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I should mention that the 85 was a library release. I have a 90 from the same release, so that’ll get fired up soon-ish champagne.gif

If you can find a Breton with good age on it, pounce on it! I’ve had a couple and hot damn are they fun

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That’s a very cool line-up. I’m trying to sit on a few wines like those for extended aging, but they’re sometimes like Beaujolais (for me) in that I have lacked the patience to cellar that I can often muster with “greater” wines. My loss.

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These are killer notes, Keith!

Love mature Raffault and Breton. I’ve recently had the '92 and '93 Breton Les Perrieres, one in a line-up with '90 and '77 Raffault, and a 1990 Joguet Clos de la Dioterie. Some stylistic, classic similarities, and all three outclassed the Joguet Dioterie.

Sounds like a wonderful evening.

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Remind me and I’ll remedy that, though I mostly have 1996s and 1997s.

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Nice! Let’s do a Loire dinner in the near future [cheers.gif]

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Very nice Keith…cab franc is such an underrated and interesting grape

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Excellent lineup and notes, Keith, thanks. Quite agree about the Clos de l’Olive 89, it’s a remarkable wine.