Honestly George, there is no reason to get into Loire Cabernet Franc. If you like it then drink it. If you are struggling to find one that appeals then just skip it. Your wine life will not be measurably less for not drinking it.
+1. Like any other type of wine.
I completely disagree with that statement, as well as with the whole notion of using Loire reds as some kind of club to insult new world wines and people who drink them. I drink slightly more new world wine than old world, but I love wines with high acid (particularly Italian wines), and I love Loire reds.
Some people donât drink wine in that kind of binary all-one-or-all-the-other way; for me, the vast diversity of the world of wine is perhaps the most compelling thing about this whole pursuit. I have no problem having Baudry one night and Turley the next, any more than I have a problem eating Chinese takeout one night and Marche Moderne the next, or seeing a Schwartzenegger movie one night and indie/foreign film the next.
I do agree with you that Loire reds from riper vintages like 05, 09 and 10 are a good place to start if youâre someone more accustomed to new world wines. The good thing is that, while they have more fruit and volume, they still have (in my experience) the full character of Loire cab franc. An 09 Baudry isnât going to seem like some kind of new world crossover wine; it still has both feet planted firmly in the Loire and in the cab franc grape.
Good post and good points.
The best RED wine, perhaps. 
Chances are youâll never even see a Vatan Pinot Noir.
But you could probably assemble the following tasting just from sources in the state of California:
Laetitia Brut Rose
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/laetitia+rose/1/usa-ca
https://shop.laetitiawine.com/shop.ams?LEVEL=BOT&PART=BLABROAD12
Robert Sinskey Vin Gris
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/sinskey+vin+gris/1/usa-ca
http://robertsinskey.com/wines/vin-gris-of-pinot-noir/2013
Puzelat La Tesniere Pineau dâAunis [Chenin Noir]
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/tesniere/1/usa-ca
http://www.wineterroirs.com/2008/07/thierry_puzelat.html
Tue Boeuf Rouillon Pinot Noir
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/boeuf+rouillon/1/usa-ca
Maybe throw in a Loire Cremant Rose opposite the Laetitia.
Itâs a shame that Sam Balderas isnât making Samantha Starr anymore because it would fit perfectly in that tasting.
But Iâd definitely start with that Puzelat Pineau dâAunis if I wanted to get straight to the heart of Loire reds.
EDIT: I just noticed that Jim Cowan has a Rose of Pinot Noir:
http://cowancellars.com/wines/
You could definitely throw that into a California versus Loire comparison tasting. [Meaning that Iâve never tasted the Cowan but that Iâd be confident it would fit into the spirit of the affair.] Maybe also the Cowan Sonoma Pinot Noir - maybe it could play the role of the now defunct Balderas Samantha Starr?
In fact, just within the confines of California Pinot Noir, the Cowan Rose versus the Sinskey Vin Gris might be a very interesting mini-tasting.
I agree. We should each drink what we like to drink.
Also agreed. That said, the advice to seek out ripe vintages (e.g., 2003, 2009) is good.
Setting aside all the posts not responsive to your actual question, i.e. as to whether or not you should try to understand the region, I think many of the other suggestions offered are quite right. Keithâs point above is probably accurate. Personally Iâd say that if you are familiar with and enjoy lighter burgundy, such as Bourgogne rouge from all but the ripest years, and even traditionally made Bordeaux, then there is a good chance that you can come to an appreciation of Loire CF. And for those who say you neednât try or âdrink what you likeâ I, OTOH, think itâs a good thing to embark upon an effort such as this, and to attempt to understand this region. These are wines of class and distinction IMO, and many bargains can be found in this region. Baudry is an excellent starting place, and Breton is too. I think Breton is more variable and Baudry more solid. That said, Iâve had many fine wines from each. It may be odd but the wine that did it for me was actually the 2008 Domaine Guion Bourgeiul. That is odd because it is very much Loire CF, and doesnât offer a lot of reference points wrt to wines outside the region for making it easy to understand.
For me, what these wines offer is fresh berry fruit, a savory green edge, sometimes bordering on ash, very good complexity, by which I mean that these wines commonly run through four or five distinct flavors in each sip. That may not be the accepted lexicon for how to judge wine complexity, but it fits for what I want to say. Many wines seem like one thing, or maybe two things. For bigger wines these things tend to be Fruit and alcohol, maybe with vanilla or something from the oak. But with Loire CF I frequently get a lot of berries, flowers, and distinctive green notes, herb and bell pepper in their own proportions, and then maybe ash or something else. Lots of complexity for my taste.
People often claim to be put off by the green flavors, but I think that many people struggle with the texture too. Of all the reds I drink, I think that textually Loire CF comes off most like a white wine on the palate. By which I mean that it is very refreshing, very light in body. It doesnât cloy at all. There is very little glycerin in the wine to cling to your mouth. This makes it the definition of gluggable. As the French say âgouleyant.â That is how I think of Loire CF, just really drinkable but with lots of complexity too, and that is not an easy thing to find.
So maybe look for those characteristics and see what you find. As a caveat, these effects are moderated in a year like 2009 or even 2005, and to a lesser extent 2010. You will often hear to start with these wines as they are most like the reds of other regions. I think that sometimes the 2008 and 2011 type vintages, at least when young, are more stridently Loire CF, in their stripped down glory. So a 2009 or even 2010 will have some of what I say above, but with a bit more textural grip from tannin, a bit more glycerin from the (relatively) higher sugars of the vintage, and a bit more dry extract in the wine overall.
Good luck.
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Thoughts on wines from 2011 Plouzeau?
Two minor additions to all thatâs been written above, based on personal observation:
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The âgreenâ note may subside in a well-made CF-based wine with age; it may morph into a pleasing element of freshness and complexity in a maturing wine. So try to find a friend with an older bottle to open for you.
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These are reds that, more than most others, excel with food. Even if you donât love sipping them by themselves, you should try them again with a good meal.
Has Hureau been mentioned? Even the basic level wine is good and approachable.
I did not mention Hureau because I have not tasted Hureau. However, I picked up several Friday night from Arrowine that I previously had ordered. Ian, what can you tell me about Hureau (two of the bottles are Chenin Blanc, the other four two different reds).
One other thing I donât think anyone has mentioned is what food would you have with Loire reds. I am not real good at these types of pairings, but if anyone can recommend something it might help the OP. I think of Cab Franc as a wine that goes with food, not a cocktail party wine. I once opened a bottle at a cocktail party type situation with non-wine geeks and it did not go over that well.
I had a bottle of the 2011 Clos du Malevier Ante Phylloxera about a month ago. Iâve only had the 2010 and the 2011. It is very similar in style to the 2010, but as you might expect, it is relatively more about tobacco and herbs compared to the 2010, which feature a higher ratio of fruit.
They are beautiful wines - to me, they have the character of classic Loire reds but are prettier, brighter, more feminine, and more seamless. As though the different flavors of the classic Loire CF profile are knitted together more perfectly.
I love the green and am very thankful this keeps many outâŠ
It would be helpful if you can provide a new world example of what you like drinking.
Clau de Nell Cuvee Violette
Baudry Guillot
Guiberteau Les Motelles
If you donât like any of those Loire reds may not be up your alley.
For a brilliant aged âthin-n-wateryâ no-oak Loire that excels with food, look here: 1989 JoĂ«l Taluau "CuvĂ©e de Domaine" Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil - SKU 1026440
That is good advice. Frankly, even with appropriate food, I donât have Loire cab franc in my mind as something your average non-geek would particularly be enthused about - I think the tobacco, bell pepper, herb, gravel type flavors that many wine geeks appreciate in wines like this just arenât flavors that most of the wine-drinking public seeks in wine. Of course it varies from person to person, but just as a broad statement.
Loire chenin blanc, on the other hand, is a big hit with non-geeks, and works well as both a cocktail wine and a food wine. I love how versatile it is, and how broad the appeal is.
Absolutely agreed that these are food wines, not cocktail wines.
As a light-to-middleweight not very tannic red with lively acidity, these are very versatile at the table (not unlike Bojo, Chianti, etc). Save the two inch well-marbled rib steak for more tannic reds and the sole for a slim white; but IMO youâre not likely to go too terribly far wrong at most points in between. Poultry, pork, veal in a wide array of preparations, or even tuna or salmon; veg dishes with some heft, say lentil stew or mushroom risotto; burgers, pizza. Terrific with moderately spicy Mexican entrees: where a cab sauv fan the flames, a nice Loire CF wonât, and as a bonus any green notes in the wine (which I love, and cannot really grok others considering even a hint to be a disqualifying fault) can harmonize beautifully with the jalapeno, serrano, or poblano chiles in the dish. No doubt itâs terrific with nice mild stuffed green peppers too.
Once enjoyed a fortuitous âepiphany pairingâ when I brought a tart young Guion Bourgueil (a 2010, in late 2012) to a Senegalese joint:
I wasnât analytical enough for much of a tasting note, but I can tell you that, while this was a little funky on its own (itâs no cocktail wine), itâs hard to imagine anything at any price providing more synergy and enjoyment with dinner at a local Senegalese BYOB, a lamb shank with a tangy onion sauce. This had the depth to match the lamb and the acidity to spar with the sauce⊠just brilliant.
Interesting to me to see so many comments on Loire CF as a wine meant for food, perhaps not necessarily to be enjoyed on its own. I agree Loire CF pairs really well many different types of food and rarely over-powers a meal, but itâs a fairly complex, fascinating wine in its own right, throwing flavors from fruit and veggies to earth and rocks, stuff rarely found in other wines. I drink a substantial amount of Loire CF on my own, on its own, and really dig them.
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Me too - I love them with and without food.
On the subject of Plouzeau, I havenât tried any 2011s yet, but this producer is yet another great one for the OP to check out. Not only Ante Phylloxera, which might be hard to find, but also Les Cornuelles (under his ChĂąteau de la Bonneliere label) and Rive Gauche Chinons too. Terrific values. I wholeheartedly second the Yannick Amirault and Hureau recommendations too. I hope weâre getting you off to a good start!
Today I tried every wine mentioned in this thread and itsh a real spreshul thing when guys say stuff wine Sheenon. I love you man. You know that? I love you. Itsh a great place the Loor. Castles and bikes and sh*t. I love you man. Urp. Thereâs one castle in the Loor? The water goes UNDER it? UNDER the WHOLE CASTLE?! How do they do that? Whoa Iâm dizzy I think I need to
âŠin other words, this thread somehow became a terrific source of wines to try. Many wines. Urp.