Hauts Baigneux - Les Pentes Cabernet Franc 2021

A great 'bistrot wine' - easy drinking, food friendly, and always a lot of fun - everything you could want from a Loire red at this price.

Its fresh and vibrant, yet structured and full of delicious fruit. A perfumed aroma leads into juicy berries, dark fruits, herbs, pepper, spice, earth, a moreish salty savoury-ness, and that classic Cab Frac leaf. Light bodied and balanced with fine, rustic tannins and crisp natural acidity. Wild yet charming.

Made from three classic red varieties from the Loire Valley - Cabernet Franc, Gamay, and Grolleau.

NERD NOTES:

Viticulture:

• Les Pentes Vineyard, within the Hauts Baigneux lieux-dit
• Vineyard Size: 5 Ha Vineyard Size
• Vine Age: 25 Year Old Vines
• Soil Type: Clay Soil and Limestone Bedrock
• Pruning: Guyot Poulssard Pruning
• Organic Cerified

Vinification:

• Harvesting: By Hand
• Fermentation: Concrete tanks with natural yeasts
• Elevage: Stainless steel tanks
• Fining: Unfined
• Filtration: “Sur terre blanche” (filtered with diatomaceous earth)

Philippe Mesnier and Nicolas Grosbois purchased 12 hectares of vines in Azay-le-Rideau in 2013. Nicolas, born and bred in the area, has always seen a lot of potential in this relatively unknown terroir a few kilometres east of Chinon. The duo immediately began farming the vines organically and achieved certification in recent years. They want to share what Azay-le-Rideau can showcase, with its clay and limestone terroir ideal for Chenin.