Wednesday, April 2, 2008

WBW #44 French Cabernet Franc

Olek-Mery
2004 Chinon Cuvée des Tireaux
12.5%
First of all, shout-out to the Wine Library where I bought this wine. Now that WLTV is so hot, being from North Jersey is something to brag about. But onto the wine.
Being a newbie to Cab Franc, I can better describe what this wine isn’t than what it is. It isn’t dark. It isn’t heavy. It doesn’t smell like jam. I drink a lot of French wine and this is a different animal than the Bordeaux/Burgundy/Côtes de Rhône/Beaujolais/Chateauneuf du Pape I’ve had. It seems to have a mineral quality I’m much more accustomed to in white wine. It’s a light-colored red, light bodied as well. It slips over the tongue without packing a wallop of fruit and tannin, unlike many Cabernet Sauvignons (which, by the way, I often enjoy). On the nose, I’m probably picking up something slightly vegetal, as is said about the varietal. I quite enjoyed this wine. There was a nice amount of acid, good balance, and nothing overpowering—very food friendly. I’ll be back to try more.

3 comments:

  1. Most Chinon is slightly vegetal when young. Try to stow one away for 6-10 years. I bet it will be a different animal by then.

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  2. Thanks for the aging tip. This was actually the oldest I could find at my store. Actually, I thought the flavor was quite good and only picked up vegetal notes on the nose. I read your WBW submission--your wine sounds like quite a find.

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