Wednesday is usually Nottingham Wine Circle night, but having worked for most of the day on my website, it occurred to me that it was far more out of date than I had feared. Therefore, I'm still working at it, late into the evening, instead of being out tasting lots of other people's wines. But I can't let a Wednesday evening pass without a decent glass of wine, so I took a break to make something for supper and taste a few of the bottles I brought home from that weekend Loire marathon I mentioned in yesterday's post. And here's my note on a real stunner of a Cabernet Franc (now that's a combination of words that I never thought I'd use)......
Domaine de La Butte "Mi-Pente" 2009 Bourgueil - Jacky Blot
A classy nose indeed - lots of new, toasty oak and a huge waft of dark, sensuous black fruits steeped in eau de vie. It's clearly youthful, but already gloriously complex, with enticing notes of cigar box, leather, damp earth and cloves. It smells big and lavish, but there's a high-toned, citrus fruit note that gives real lift. And that citrus certainly comes through on the palate, with a huge mouthful of prickly acidity, right at the front - it really is mouth-wateringly delicious. Of course, it has tannin in abundance (what self-respecting Cab Franc doesn't?) but it is rich, ripe and creamy and combines seamlessly with that lovely acidity, almost to the point where you cannot decipher between the two. And inside that structure lies a dense core of red and black fruit flavours, again earthy, gently spicy and savoury, even slightly medicinal. But great wine is all about the whole, not the individual components, and the package here is virtually faultless. When I first tasted this wine, I had a feeling that the acidity may have been "adjusted". Maybe so, maybe not, but the effect is ethereal, rather than unnatural - and this may just be the most balanced, fruity, complex, complete young red wine I have ever tasted from the Loire, with a tendency towards elegance that will surely emerge with some bottle age. It is utterly compelling and delicious - and it is still evolving, a full 4 days later. If I had some of this wine in my cellar (which I don't) I'd be tempted to drink it all far too quickly - but boy, would I love to taste it in another 10 years' time. I'm not quite a convert yet, but if this is what Loire Cabernet Franc is capable of, then give me more!
Oh, and I have to say it goes beautifully with my home-made pizza, topped with tomato, mushrooms, anchovies, green peppers, mozzarella, a little pepperoni and oregano. A match made in heaven!
Oh, and I have to say it goes beautifully with my home-made pizza, topped with tomato, mushrooms, anchovies, green peppers, mozzarella, a little pepperoni and oregano. A match made in heaven!
Right - back to work on my website............
6 comments:
Only problem is that LS Fine Wines doesn't deliver handmade pizza! Looks delicious!
Perhaps I should branch out into LS Fine Pizzas!
I have a bottle of this from a mixed case - actually from the Berry's in France. It's filed under wait a few years. Love Cabernet France, much more understated than it's big bully relative.
Big surprise is the Pizza match as wine doesn't really go with Pizza unless it's a thin, dry rasping Italian red.
Come, come, Graham - I find pizza to be a tremendously wine-friendly food. Especially green peppers and Cab Franc(!) Mushrooms, cheese, herbs - they all go with wine, one way or another. I also tend to sweeten the sauce (basically tomato purée and herbs de Provence) with a little sugar, though I'm not one of those that thinks of tomatoes as a clash with wine. Far from it - in fact, tomato is one of the aromas I tend to pick up in aged Northern Rhone Syrah, though I shy away from mentioning it in tasting notes, because many people (presumably yourself included) tend to view it as a negative. And as for anchovies - I love 'em! And don't forget they are a classic match with lamb. So what's not to like about pizza and fine wine? ;-))
Leon, This wine would have to be on the top of my list of wines to try if I could find it. I love Loire Cab Francs, and Jacky Blot is considered one of the finest vintners in Bourgeuil and Montlouis. Unfortunately I've never been able to find his reds in the US. Several years ago I had his Montlouis, and it was stunning. But the importer is long gone, and I don't know if anyone imports his wines into the US now. But if I make it back to the Loire, this will be a winery I'll check out.
Blot wines are not here in Alberta either!
Bob
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