Tasting Diaries: April 2025
No.58 | What's In My Glass
April was a busy yet delicious month. With May in my sights and a lot to look forward to, I close out this month feeling light, rejuvenated, and inspired. Here are some of the wines that excited and delighted my palate in recent weeks.
Domaine des Roches Neuves (Thierry Germain), 2019 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires” (13.0% abv., SRP $68USD): This cuvée was my first introduction to Domaine des Roches Neuves many moons ago, so I always enjoy revisiting it. From a parcel that Thierry acquired in 2012, the vines are some of the oldest (if not THE oldest) Cabernet Franc vines in the Loire Valley, planted in 1904. The soils in this plot are a bit atypical for Saumur-Champigny. Dating to the Bartonian Age, there is about 70cm of a sandy-silt topsoil, followed by a deep sandy-clay subsoil with a very high proportion of flint pebbles and stones and virtually no impact of the tuffeau chalk. The 2019 is entering a really nice drinking window, with its earth and tertiary layers starting to peak through. Dark fruited and fleshy, with notes of rosemary, rich potting soil, black currant leaf, dried violets, sandalwood and dark chocolate. The wine is round and plush, sitting broadly on the palate, with enveloping, cashmere-like tannins. Seamless, absolutely seamless. If I wanted someone to understand what it meant for a wine to be seamless, I would pour them a glass of this 2019 Les Mémoires. All the elements were perfectly woven together, nothing was out of place, dancing gracefully on the palate. Simply exquisite.
Viña Calcu, 2020 “Tiny Blocks” Cabernet Franc Gran Reserva, Marchigüe, Colchagua Costa, Chile (13.7% abv., SRP $15USD): Viña Calcu is the Hurtado family’s sister wine estate to Viña Maquis. The family’s commitment to Cabernet Franc goes back over a century and culminated with the creation of their flagship wine the Maquis Franco in 2008, which was Chile’s first icon wine made from 100% Cabernet Franc. This passion for Cabernet Franc extends to their estate in the region of Marchigüe in the “Costa” zone of Colchagua. What is particularly notable about this region is that not only is it cooler with a marked influence of the Pacific Ocean, but it is also a very windy region, which leads to grapes with thicker skins and a higher skin-to-juice ratio, and in the case of red wines like Cabernet Franc, giving a more pronounced tannin structure in the finished wines. Dark, brambly fruits mingle with fresh turned earth, evergreen undertones and a touch of capsicum. The palate shows a beautiful purity of fruit working with persistent, mouth-watering acidity and firm, sinewy tannins to create a wine that is broad shouldered without being bulky. Polished, a touch floral and spicy, with a hint of sea spray minerality, the wine over-delivers on depth and character for the price point (purchased in the spring 2024 for $15.00CAD). Enjoyed this with a grilled bavette steak and frites, and it was a match made in heaven.
Domaine Xavier et Agnès Amirault, 2018 Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil “Les Quarterons” (12.5% abv., SRP $32USD): A textbook example of St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Xavier Amirault crafts this cuvée from an assemblage of 40 to 45 of the family’s 58 individual parcels from twelve distinct terroir units dotted across the appellation so that their “Les Quarterons” is a quintessential expression of Saint-Nicolas. While this cuvée is the estate’s largest volume and their “entry level” wine, with about 6 years of age, this wine was in an absolutely terrific place. There was a beautiful evolution to the fruit, with layers of dried herbs, “forest floor,” and cedar, with a touch of peppery spice. Plush, round, and immensely drinkable thanks to the wine’s lively, juicy acidity, with sufficient structure provided by its supple, silky tannins. Companionably, digeste, charming, the wine was a perfect pairing with a croque-madame and salad for a very French bistro-esque lunch.
Domaine Andrée, 2019 Anjou Rouge “Carbone” (12.5% abv., SRP $55USD): If you are not yet acquainted with Stéphane Erissé and his tiny Domaine Andrée, I am putting you on high alert to get this domaine on your radar. I first tried Stéphane’s wines at Chambers in New York City a few years ago, and while his domaine was only established in 2011, he has achieved impressive acclaim in a short period of time. Before setting up is 3.7ha domaine in the commune of Saint-Georges-sur-Layon in Anjou, Stéphane spent three years working with Antoine Foucault (son of the late Charly Foucault) of Domaine du Collier. His “Carbone” is one of two Cabernet Francs that Stéphane crafts, and it is coming from a small parcel of very old vines influenced by Anjou Noir soils comprised of predominantly clay enriched with coal and granite, and sees aging in oak for one year. Right out of the gate, the wine’s perfume makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up with ethereal notes of savoury herbals and earth (thyme, sage, pine bows), spicy florals (rose, peony), and exotic spices (ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, cardamom). It is the sort of Cabernet Franc I could simply smell for hours. The palate is reserved and textural, punctuated by cleansing acidity and crisp, linen-like tannins, and beautiful sweet, fleshy core that grounds the whole palate experience. Focused, resonant yet modest, this is an intellectual Cabernet Franc, that draws you in instantly and holds your attention to the last drop.
Domaine Moly, 2022 Saumur-Champigny “Les Sybarites” (13.5% abv., SRP $35USD): I wrote a Substack feature on Domaine Moly almost a year ago, and this was my first time re-tasting their 2022 Les Sybarites in some time. Coming from a selection of parcels in Varrains, Chacé and Dampierre-sur-Loire, with on average 40-year-old vines, all with southern exposures and shallow sandy-silt topsoils over the Middle Turonian tuffeau known as “craie verte.” Classically styled and showing the ripe, sunny character of the 2022 vintage, the wine has plush, sweet cherry and black raspberry fruits, which are complemented by thyme, mint, and violet undertones. The wine displays more integration and balance with another year in the bottle, with its fruit having lost some of its baby fat, and its acidity and tannins coming together nicely. Persistent, with superb richness and purity of fruit, enveloping tannins, and finishing with exuberance and laser-like focus. Complete and beautifully crafted, this is a serious Saumur-Champigny that beautifully balances presence and power with elegance and finesse.
Vineland Estates Winery, 2022 Cabernet Franc Reserve, VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (14.0% abv., SRP $53CAD): From the winery’s superb Bo-Teek Vineyard, their Reserve Cabernet Franc is selected from the best plots and micro-vinifications, and typically ends up being a 50/50 blend of two Cabernet Franc clones, clone 214 from the Loire and clone 327 from Bordeaux. While this wine is their “Reserve” and is absolutely built to age, it is extremely open and approachable at this stage of its life. Savoury and fragrant, this expresses notes of ripe morello cherry and wild blueberry that are nicely balanced by classic notes of cedar leaves, sweet tobacco, and thyme. Perfumed with florals (rose and violets) and spice (green peppercorn, clove and paprika) on the nose and palate, the wine has mouth-watering, almost juicy acidity that works seamlessly with its finely-woven, crushed velvet tannins. Enveloping, plush, with plenty of finesse and ease, this is a thoughtfully made Cabernet Franc that has an air of quiet confidence about it that I absolutely adore. Superb.
Domaine de Pallus, 2019 Chinon “Les Pensées de Pallus” (13.5% abv., SRP $30USD): From fifth generation vigneron Bertrand Sourdais based in Cravant-les-Côteaux, the Pensées de Pallus comes from select parcels of older vines situated mid-slope and influenced by the lightly textured yellow tuffeau limestone sands at the estate’s namesake lieu-dit “Pallus.” Lifted, open and perfumed, sweet-tart red-berried fruits (lingonberry, cranberry, cherry) mix with woodsy herbs, notes of peony, fennel seed, star anise and clove. Medium-bodied with high-toned, vivacious acidity, the wine is energetic and invigorating. Its fine-boned structure, with velvety tannins, is enveloped beautifully by the fruit, anchored by a sweetly fruited and spicy middle palate. Persistent, sophisticated, the wine exudes elegance with every sip. Unpretentious, while also having a contemplative edge, this is serious wine that will no doubt improve with additional time in the cellar.
Ravines Wine Cellars, 2022 Estate Cabernet Franc, Seneca Lake, Finger Lakes, New York, USA (13.0% abv., SRP $25USD): I have been tasting quite a bit of Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc of late, and it feels like in the last two to three years producers have really been hitting their stride with how they are working with and thinking about this grape variety, like adapting to vintage conditions, dialling back on the use of new oak, and letting the grape’s varietal character shine. This 2022 from Ravines is no exception. Owner and winemaker Morten Hallgren knocked it out of the park with this Cabernet Franc. The wine is coming from a mix of parcels from their White Springs and 16 Falls Vineyards on a mix of loam and clay-loam soils, and the approach in the cellar is quite classic with aging in older 2000L Austrian oak casks. Fresh, inviting with a beautiful purity of fruit, the wine displays notes of wild blueberry, cherry and raspberry, with a balanced underpinning of soft herbs (basil, tarragon), cedar leaves, a hint of capsicum, and violets. Delicately peppery, the palate continues with irresistible, juicy, refreshing acidity and well-managed, Egyptian cotton-like tannins that are firm enough to give structure but with a fineness and supple character to bring ease and approachability. Thoughtful, friendly, effortless. Of the Finger Lakes Cabernet Francs from the 2022 vintage that I have tasted to date, this one lands near the top of my list.
Zorzal, 2023 “Gran Terroir” Cabernet Franc, Gualtallary, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (13.5% abv., SRP $20USD): Established in 2008, Zorzal is a relatively young estate but has quickly captured my heart with their many expressions of Cabernet Franc. My first introduction to the winery was a few years back with their Eggo Franco, which is fermented and aged exclusively in concrete eggs. Their “Gran Terroir” is the most Bordeaux-inspired in their range of Cabernet Francs, seeing some aging in French oak barrels, though only 5% new. Coming from vines grown at an average altitude of around 1350m above sea level, I would consider this a benchmark expression of Argentinian Cabernet Franc. Intensely coloured, with a clean, dark-fruited and peppery nose, the wine leaps out of the glass with notes of ripe black raspberry, garrigue-like herbal undertones (marjoram, eucalyptus) and a captivating melange of peppercorns (Sichuan, black, white) and nutmeg. Not quite full-bodied, but certainly a little more lush and plush, the wine’s fruit intensity is reigned in by cleansing acidity and fine, cashmere-like tannins that have a touch of chew on the finish. Elegant, restrained, contemporary, with superb varietal character that is representative of place, this Cabernet Franc was an absolute joy to drink.