Loire Red that Costs Half What It Should
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2018 Le Grand Bouqueteau Chinon Tradition Loire Valley France 750 ml
- Curated by unrivaled experts
- Choose your delivery date
- Temperature controlled shipping options
- Get credited back if a wine fails to impress
Classic Loire Red for Half What It Should Cost
Sommeliers at top restaurants around the United States have recently been catching on to the spectacular value to be found in the classic Cabernet Francs of the Loire Valley. And among all the increasingly obsessed-over appellations along the legendary river, none are hotter right now than Chinon.
The 2018 Le Grand Bouqueteau Chinon Tradition is a delicious lesson in all that makes the appellation so special. With its saturated ruby-purple color and energetic flavors of juicy red cherries and plums, brown spice, and graphite-like minerality, this is the kind of wine that will charm Bordeaux obsessives and fans of the energetic yet concentrated reds from Napa Valley’s more mountainous appellations.
The winemaking for this classic followed a regimen more typical of pricier bottles: After the pristine grapes were harvested and the juice was fermented, it was racked three times to ensure a crystalline sense of clarity that adds to the silky texture. Ten percent of the cuvée spent several months in 500-liter oak barrels, which allowed the wine to gently micro-oxygenate, lending even further suppleness to the mouthfeel.
The result is a red that hits all the right notes: It’s lifted yet concentrated, propulsive yet rich, and capable of aging for another five years. It’s no wonder top sommeliers have been snapping up the best of Chinon with such determination: It’s delicious on its own and incredibly versatile at the table.