Le Domaine Chinon Cabernet Franc

Presented double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours a deep ruby/purple color with medium viscosity and moderate staining of the tears. No signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with feral notes of violets and a pasture land: violets, black berries, horse stable, and a green herbal note. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acidity. Confirming the notes from the nose. I cannot over state the amount of violets in this wine. It’s almost as if there was addition to the fermentation. It’s wild, no pun intended. The finish is medium+ and the body comes across a bit thin. Initial conclusions: this could be Gamay, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Tempranillo or a Bordeaux-blend from France or Spain and that’s really about it. The cellar practices should be telling here. So I think there is some winemaking that’s a major part of this story. I exclude Malbec and Tempranillo because I can’t really think of producers that’s would be this…eccentric? I kinda like Syrah but I don’t really get any rotundone. So I’m leaning towards this being a natural producer of Beaujolais with some serious stem inclusion. Final conclusion: Gamay, from France, from Burgundy, from Beaujolias, Beaujolais-Villages 2021. Dammit…freaking Cabernet Franc from Baudry. I should have spent a little more time considering Chinon. Though, this is poopiest Baudry I can recall in some time. For the most part, I love this producer. Certainly a wine of character that tight ropes the line of Brettanomyces gone too far. Drink now.

Violet, mushroom, green olive, raspberry. Juicy on the palate. Red fruit and bright acidity with soft, smooth tannins. Lingering olive and raspberry. Lovely, drinkable stuff. Almost like a love child of Syrah and Pinot Noir.