For the Loire Cab Franc Fans Part Deux: Geeky pleasure for $20

WINE TALK
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Installment number two, and just in case you missed the first one:

A couple of preliminary points: First, 2011 Loire Cab Franc vintage missed all the buzz in the wake of 2010, 2009 and 2005, but let me tell you from my perspective, this vintage rocks. Seems like the ripeness is dialed down a bit, expressing terroir better. Loved some of the Plouzeau and Baudry offerings. Second, Gilman slayed it with some of his finds and ratings. Totally on point.
2011 Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil “la Mine”- Domaine Yannick Amirault

This little QPR blows me way. Could be my QPR of 2014. The 2011 Thivin CdB was my QPR of last year, and they both share a major similarity: lip-smacking salinity. I’m drooling over this savory, saline-inflected wine. I cannot keep the glass down.

So let me back this up a bit.

Finished up a bottle of 2011 Gonon Les Iles Feray. I’ve posted enough on this wine, it’s great. I needed a bit more vino to polish off the night, so I grabbed another cheapie, this Bourgueil that cost me all of $20. At first glance, the color is gorgeous, deep ruby-to-blood red. The aromatics are compelling, a musky wet earth and barn component that keeps my nose enthralled. Red and dark fruits with sweet pipe tobacco. Relatively full bodied, juicy and tart fruits, but the savory, herb-driven, saline component of this wine drives the profile. Reeks of a product of rich, wet, dark soils, enriching very old vines.

This wine is fantastic. Preferred over another damn fine QPR from Amirault, the 2011 “Les Quartiers” that I had last week.
(92 pts.)

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Terrific note Robert, am interested in seeing how it developes overnight?

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The 2010 of the La Mine was fantastic. Exactly what you’d want in a wine like this.

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Robert–glad to hear the Amiraults are bringing some pleasure, as i’ve been a booster in the past.

With apologies for the thread derailment, have you tried any puzelat/tue boeuf wines? I’ve only recently started drinking them, and haven’t tasted through the full lineup, but i have to say i think you’d dig them. Among other things, some of the best loire pinot noir i"ve had.

Elliot

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Never had “la Mine” but I love “Petit Cave”. From my limited experience with the '09 vintage, there was big quality gap separating “Petit Cave” from “Les Quartier” and “Grand Clos”. Where is “la Mine” in the hierachy?

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Talk about geeky pleasure… Had Druet’s '96 Grand Mont and '96 Veaumoreau side by side the other night. Fabulous wines, both drinking great right now.

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Thanks,
last i have from Amirault was petite cave 2009 and 2010 and twice really good.
And price is really cheap.
After your note,i will buy also others,thanks. [cheers.gif]

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I have not, where do you find them stateside? Thanks for the tip!

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I am sometimes a bit contrarian on these hierarchy things. For example, in classic years, I think Les Grezeauz is Baudry’s best cuvee. It comes from a gravel-based soil compared to what most consider the flagship cuvee, La Croix Boissee, which comes from a chalk soil.

The Amirault cuvees are each from distinct vineyards with distinct soil conditions. So the question is, is one always better than the other? I don’t know, they are just different to me. The “La Mine” comes from gravel soils, and that shows the rusticity that I describe in my note. The “Les Quartiers” is a chalky soil, as is the “La Petite Cave”.

I like how this blog post describes the differing soil conditions in the Baudry cuvees:

http://www.wineterroirs.com/2012/02/bernard_baudry_chinon_loire.html

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here a tasting article puzelat , The wines of Clos du Tue Boeuf Puzelat Freres, Loire, France
(Louis Dressner?)

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Both Clos de Tue Boeuf and Puzelat-Bonhomme are imported by LDM.

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Thanks for this thread. I’m trying to learn about cab franc. I’ve very much enjoyed some Baudry cuvées but even more so a 2009 Château de Fosse-Seche Saumur Eolithe that I picked up for $16.

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Having a little afternoon toddy with the remainder. Still pretty provocative nose, palate has tightened up a bit. This will will age. Really lovely stuff, especially for the price.

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Keep in mind that the Grezeaux are the oldest vines by a good bit. Matthieu’s diorama in the tasting room doesn’t quite do justice to how “chalky” the Croix Boissée is. The reason there is a white is because the cabernet franc kept dying on part of the upper slope because there was so much limestone. I don’t think the Clos Guillot is as sandy as what Bertrand says here.

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The Tue Boeuf pinots are great. The Caillere is more clay, IIRC and the Gravotte has a bit of limestone. They’re pretty close to each other, but quite different. The Gravotte doesn’t taste lime a limestone pinot as much as the Caillere to me. Anyway…

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That was some damn good shit, drained a bunch of 'em.

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Robert, wineterroirs is one killer wine blog. So much good stuff, even if the style and layout is a little idiosyncratic. A treasure trove for Natural Wine fiends, and lovers of the Loire and Beaujolais in particular.

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Robert,

If you like Plouzeau and Amirault, you really need to be moving to DC. [welldone.gif]

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And give up this wasteland of Orlando?!

The good news is, with cheap land and no state tax, I can buy more vino! [cheers.gif]

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And drink it in nicer weather.