Tried these two CabFrancs over the last week:
- Harrington CabFranc CalleriVnyd/SanBenitoCnty (13.2%) 2018: Med.light color; fairly strong herbal/CabFranc/new mown Kansas hay some spicy/cinammon/pepper bit Loire-like light toasty/oak slight blackcurranty/Cab rather interesting nose; quite tart/tangy bit lean/angular some herbal/CabFranc/dusty/earthy bit spicy quite tangy flavor w/ some tart/tangy tannins; very long some herbal/CabFranc/earthy/dusty quite tangy/tart slight weedy/spicy finish w/ some tart tannins; a rather interesting bit Loire-like CabFranc but pretty lean/tangy/tart on the palate; needs a few more yrs but not quite sure where this will go; not your typical rich/lush Calif CabFranc.
- LeCanal des GrandsPieces AC: Chinon (Organic; 100% CabFranc; 6 mo. in concrete tanks; ChambersBayDistributing/UniversityPlace/WA; 13%) Dom. de l’R/Cravant-Les-Coteaux/Chinon/Loire 2019: Very dark color; strong CabFranc/herbal/earthy/loamy some natty/mousey/hantavirus/funky rather strange not particularly attractive nose; lightly tart fairly earthy/loamy slight CF/herbal rather funky/hantavirus/natty flavor w/ light tangy tannins; rather sour/earthy/loamy fairly natty/hantavirus/mousey/unclean/bretty finish w/ light tannins; speaks some of Loire CF but very sour on the palate and too natty/hantavirus for my tastes. $22.00 (KK)
A wee BloodyPulpit:
- The Chinon is, of course, a natural wines. The winemaking pretty much obliterated any of the attractive Loire CabFranc character and it was quite sour on the palate. Avoid this wine, you can do better.
Tom