Tasting Notes
It may be in the starting range of the Guiberteau Cabernet Franc’s but this wine is in a different league to the local Loire restaurant wines I tried a decade or so ago. From first smell you get fine dark fruits with some savoury spice hints and the ever-present Loire violets. First taste fills the mouth with elegant dark fruits and some Asian spicy notes. Many cab franc winemakers would love to get these silky fine tannins. Joyful! And it’s at the start of the range. 12.5%alc. - Michael L
100% Cabernet Franc. As with the Moulins Blanc, this label was created to provide a home to Guiberteau’s organic-in-conversion grapes. The vines are mostly located in Montreuil-Bellay, and includes a healthy portion of old-vine fruit from a recently acquired parcel on the Brézé hill. The vines vary in age from 10 to 80 years. The wine was raised in stainless steel only, with the idea of crafting a more open, delicious and early-drinking wine than the village bottling (also at a more accessible price). And it’s worked. This incredibly well-priced Saumur is flush with aromas of blackcurrant and dark cherry fruit, flecked with violet and Asian spices. The palate is a bright mix of caressing texture, mid-palate intensity and quenching tannin. Despite its drinkability, it has more depth than you might expect at this price point, and it drinks like a wine that will take to the cellar rather well. But why wait? - Importer Note
An increased focus on the environment and an awareness of sustainable agriculture have given rise to a huge increase in organic viticulture. This is an exciting area of growth in the world of wine, and if done right, one that leads to better wines, healthier vines and soils, and less stress on the earth.
But what makes a wine organic?
Organic wine refers to a method of farming, rather than winemaking. It all starts in the vineyard, where vignerons and viticulturalists no longer use synthetic or systemic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers. Instead they opt for organic compounds such as copper and sulfur, which can help reduce he pressure of disease and pests. This results in much better vine and soil health, with no unwanted chemicals leeching into local rivers and waterways through run-off.
Organic farming is not to be confused with Biodynamic farming which, although similar, is a different approach and requires many more specific practices. These practices such as specific soil preparations, and lunar-cycle harvesting are not necessary to achieve an organic system.
It is important to note that organic wines can still have sulphur dioxide added to them. Sulphur is an organic compound, and therefore winemakers are free to add it to their wines, and still achieve organic certification. Winemakers will often add sulphur to help stabilise the wine and protect it from oxygen come bottling time. The wine will still be completely organic, assuming the proper farming practices have been adhered to.
| Product Type | Wine Red Cabernet Franc |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | France |
| Region | Loire Valley |
| Sub Region | Saumur |
| Winemaking Practices | Minimal Intervention |
| Vineyard Practices | Organic/Biodynamic |