I was already a fan of Anjou Noir but your tasting note has given me a sudden craving for some Cab Franc - will have to keep my eyes peeled for this one!
Awesome! Definitely be on the lookout. If you can find a back vintage of the 2018 (which isn’t entirely impossible), it is tasting pretty fire right now. If you’ve got any other favourite Anjou producers I’d love to know your picks! 🤩
The only vintage I've found locally is the 2021, but I'm still very tempted to give it a go! Likewise, I'd love to know if you have any more recommendations - I've tasted the Clau de Nell wines before, which I very much enjoyed.
Ahh 2021 was a bit of a difficult vintage in Anjou for Cabernet Franc. If I’m being perfectly honest, the examples from across this vintage are a bit more inconsistent, so I would need to know which producer/wine before being able to confidently give you the green light. Clau de Nell is definitely one of my favourites in the region. They’re also on limestone (Anjou Blanc) soils, which is a rather happy terroir for Cab Franc!
Sadly I have not. I had the 22 when I was in the Loire a couple months back. If you can find Bois Brinçon near you that might be one to try. Or Domaine de la Bergerie. 😃
Aha brilliant, will keep an eye out for Bois Brinçon - Domaine d l Bergerie I know well, but always good to be reminded, this weekend calls for some cab franc!
Love an Anjou Noir Cab Franc! One thing I've noticed, anecdotally, when drinking Anjou Noir Cab Franc recently is a certain nature to the aroma profile of the wine. I think it's more down to winemaking rather than direct influence from the terroir, although of course it is the terroir that's influencing the vineyard and winemaking choices. So, several of these wines have had the fruit sitting quite low on both the nose and palate but have had this volume to them at the same time that was all herbal and/or spice and/or flowers. More so while there was great intensity to this volume it wasn't very dense (I don't mean that in a bad way). There was a gossamer and ethereal quality to the aroma profile of these wines. And those characteristics would line up with the winemaking you talked about in the video. The most recent examples were from Domaine Andrée and Domaine 7. I've had another thought while writing this, that both those producers exist in a more natty space, I believe? In which case that may be a big influence on the style.
Thank you for reading and for your comment, Tom! Firstly I would consider Ogereau a “classic” producer, not “natty.” I don’t have enough experience with Domaine Andrée to offer an opinion there. That said both have a strong focus on organic viticulture and low interventionist winemaking. In terms of aromas from Anjou Noir sitting “lower” and “deeper” olfactory-speaking, I would tend to agree based on my tasting experience, but I have no idea what to attribute that too.
I was already a fan of Anjou Noir but your tasting note has given me a sudden craving for some Cab Franc - will have to keep my eyes peeled for this one!
Awesome! Definitely be on the lookout. If you can find a back vintage of the 2018 (which isn’t entirely impossible), it is tasting pretty fire right now. If you’ve got any other favourite Anjou producers I’d love to know your picks! 🤩
The only vintage I've found locally is the 2021, but I'm still very tempted to give it a go! Likewise, I'd love to know if you have any more recommendations - I've tasted the Clau de Nell wines before, which I very much enjoyed.
Ahh 2021 was a bit of a difficult vintage in Anjou for Cabernet Franc. If I’m being perfectly honest, the examples from across this vintage are a bit more inconsistent, so I would need to know which producer/wine before being able to confidently give you the green light. Clau de Nell is definitely one of my favourites in the region. They’re also on limestone (Anjou Blanc) soils, which is a rather happy terroir for Cab Franc!
Ah of course, have you had the 2021 Les Tailles? Glad Clau de Nell gets your seal of approval!
Sadly I have not. I had the 22 when I was in the Loire a couple months back. If you can find Bois Brinçon near you that might be one to try. Or Domaine de la Bergerie. 😃
Aha brilliant, will keep an eye out for Bois Brinçon - Domaine d l Bergerie I know well, but always good to be reminded, this weekend calls for some cab franc!
Yes!! I love it! 🤩
Love an Anjou Noir Cab Franc! One thing I've noticed, anecdotally, when drinking Anjou Noir Cab Franc recently is a certain nature to the aroma profile of the wine. I think it's more down to winemaking rather than direct influence from the terroir, although of course it is the terroir that's influencing the vineyard and winemaking choices. So, several of these wines have had the fruit sitting quite low on both the nose and palate but have had this volume to them at the same time that was all herbal and/or spice and/or flowers. More so while there was great intensity to this volume it wasn't very dense (I don't mean that in a bad way). There was a gossamer and ethereal quality to the aroma profile of these wines. And those characteristics would line up with the winemaking you talked about in the video. The most recent examples were from Domaine Andrée and Domaine 7. I've had another thought while writing this, that both those producers exist in a more natty space, I believe? In which case that may be a big influence on the style.
Thank you for reading and for your comment, Tom! Firstly I would consider Ogereau a “classic” producer, not “natty.” I don’t have enough experience with Domaine Andrée to offer an opinion there. That said both have a strong focus on organic viticulture and low interventionist winemaking. In terms of aromas from Anjou Noir sitting “lower” and “deeper” olfactory-speaking, I would tend to agree based on my tasting experience, but I have no idea what to attribute that too.