The results
With 66% of wines recommended, this was a solid tasting showcasing well-made, pure Cabernet Franc wines across five varied vintages. Christelle Guibert reports
Cabernet FranC may have been living in the shadow of Cabernet Sauvignon for years, but it is finally starting to get the recognition it deserves. While Cabernet Sauvignon is big, bold and tannic, Cabernet Franc seems more feminine with its fragrant, graceful red fruit and silky texture. So how do Loire Cabernet Francs stack up?
Our panel said consumers were still ‘under the misconception’ that Saumur wines were ‘only good for drinking in a French bistro’, said Laure Patry. Jim budd agreed: ‘In books written in the 1950s and ’60s, Loire wines were described as light and fruity. yes, some are still simple and quaffable but they can also be serious and ageworthy.’ He said it was Chinon that had the long reputation for making quality Cabernet Franc wines with great ageing potential, as Saumur was focused on white and rosé up until about 50 years ago.
the other reason consumers might dismiss Saumur reds could be related to their lack of consistency. budd explained: ‘the wines change dramatically from vintage to vintage. Producer to producer too. Unless you are a real connoisseur of the Loire, you will probably find it pretty difficult to enjoy the tricky vintages.’
In this tasting, the 2015s stood out as having great potential. While there were only a small number submitted (only the entry-level cuvées had been bottled when our tasting was held in march), Chris Kissack felt they had ‘a great sense of fruit purity and texture and were generally well balanced’. all three tasters said it would be interesting to taste the premium cuvées once they were released. budd found the 2014s ‘classic Loire reds: attractive ripe fruit and nicely balanced structure and acidity – clearly the best vintage since 2010’. Like the ’15s, he noted that many of the top cuvées were not yet released, but the younger wines in this tasting were drinking well now and should age well.
all three judges commented that these two most