Tasting Diaries: March 2026

No.76 | What's In My Glass

It’s been a long winter.

For those that don’t live in Ontario or many parts of Northeastern United States, this winter has been one of the coldest, snowiest and longest winters in recent memory. The first snowfall arrived on November 9th, and as I type this, there are snow drifts over 50cm deep still blanketing my yard that have not begun to melt. I’m so over it.

Meanwhile, in the Loire Valley, spring is well underway, Chenin buds (with Cabernet Franc not far behind) have already burst across much of the region, and vignerons were on frost watch late last week. Early reports suggest that temperatures didn’t dip low enough to cause any damage, but the frost risk window will persist through April, so no doubt there may still be more sleepless nights ahead for vignerons.

This involuntary hibernation brought on by the winter of 2026 did mean, however, that I was able to be productive in my tastings and planning for the months ahead. So, I suppose there is a flip side to every coin. Suffice it to say, I will be very happy to see “April” at the top of the calendar tomorrow.

After a busy February, March was a relatively relaxed month of tasting, and I’m delighted to share with you a few highlights from recent weeks.

In my January Tasting Diaries, I highlighted the 2022 Saumur Rouge “Clos Mazurique” from Arnaud Lambert, and earlier this month I decided to pop the cork on the 2022 Saumur-Champigny “Terres Rouges” (14% abv., SRP $25USD/12 EUR). If you ever have the chance, these two wines are always fascinating to taste side-by-side as they are essentially made the exact same way but from two distinct terroirs. I actually did this exercise during an Instagram Live back in 2023 in honour of Cabernet Franc Day, which was a fun 75-minute nerdy deep dive into these two terroirs and wines. Generally speaking, the Terres Rouges is always a bit more plush, open and generous than the Clos Mazurique from the same vintage, while the Clos Mazurique leans more nuanced and reserved.

The 2022 Terres Rouges is in a terrific place at the moment. Lifted, fragrant, spicy, with foresty red fruits (cranberry, lingonberry, raspberry) mixing with well-defined herbal notes of mint and rosemary alongside pink florals and a touch of sumac (the sumac note in this wine is very consistent from vintage to vintage). A heady mélange of Cabernet Franc varietal spice (pink, black, Sichuan peppercorns) comes through more on the palate. Refreshing acidity and silky, uniform tannins weave together to create a seamless structure, while a plush, fruit-ladened mid-palate delivers pleasure and drinkability. Layered, pure, precise, without being intricate, with lovely balance and restraint for the vintage.

Le Macchiole, 2018 IGT Toscana “Paleo Rosso,” Bolgheri, Italy (14% abv., SRP $125USD): Sometimes you just need to open a showstopper Cabernet Franc! Particularly when enjoying a standing prime rib roast with all the fixings to help cure the mid-winter blues. The Paleo Rosso is Bolgheri’s original 100% Cabernet Franc. Today, nearly a third of all estates in the region bottle a 100% Cabernet Franc as part of their range, but in 2001, it was Le Macchiole that was the first to decide to put Cabernet Franc on the pedestal that the grape deserves. The wine is from selection of the family’s top parcels and made in a very classic, “Super Tuscan” style with extended aging in new oak barriques.

This is a wine that definitely benefits from cellaring, and when drunk on the younger side, like this 2018, decanting is certainly recommended to help soften and integrate some the wood tannin that is a bit more pronounced in its youth. With a little bit of oxygen, the wine began to unfurl with Mediterranean Cabernet Franc energy marrying fresh red and dark fruited notes (bramble, sour cherry compote, blackcurrant) with dry, garrigue-like herbal undertones (bay leaf, cypress, dried oregano and oregano oil), piquant Espelette pepper and robust baking spices. The palate is plush yet refined, with refreshing acidity and fine, velvety tannins that finish with a touch of chalky grip. Richly textured and round, with elegance and poise through the finish, this wine aristocratic and stately while being understated at the same time.

COR Wine Cellars, 2023 Cabernet Franc, Alder Ridge Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington State, USA (13% abv., SRP $36USD): I don’t have the opportunity to taste as much Cabernet Franc from Washington State as I would like. So when the Washington State Wine Commission offered to send me some samples to try, I didn’t hesitate to accept their offer. COR Wine Cellars was established in 2004, and Cabernet Franc has been a staple of their range since the 2005 vintage. Tenuta di Trinoro-trained winemaker and owner Luke Bradford likes to showcase the grape in a cool climate style with a focus on purity of fruit and vibrant acidity. The 2023 is sourced from older vines (planted in 1997) from a cooler block of the Alder Ridge Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA in south-central Washington State.

Using a touch of whole bunches in the fermentation and seeing just 10 months of aging in neutral oak, the wine leads with pure, classic varietal character with fresh red berry fruits (raspberry, cherry, strawberry coulis), earth and herbal undertones of thyme and fragrant pine bows, mixing with very pretty florals (lilac, jasmine). The acidity is lively and crisp, and that crispness of the acid structure extends to the tannins, which have a very finely woven, percale cotton-like texture. This structure coupled with the fresh florals immediately brought to mind freshly cleaned bed sheets hanging out to dry on a cool, spring morning! The crisp-juicy palate is delightfully complemented by spicy notes of pink peppercorn, chilli flake, star anise and Ceylon cinnamon. Medium-bodied, balanced, playful and approachable from the first sip. As far as first impressions go, this is a winner, and I love that it has this well-intentioned, thoughtful side working in tandem with its playful energy.

Château de Villeneuve, 2021 Saumur-Champigny (13% abv., SRP $25USD/13 EUR): I did a bit of wine cellar organization this month (my kind of spring cleaning!) and realized that I had 5 bottles of the “domaine” cuvée from the 2021 vintage from Château de Villeneuve. Given that I have been loving the 2021s from across the Loire Valley at the moment, I figured it was worth tucking into a bottle to see where this wine was at. This is the estate’s “early-drinking” expression from a selection of their parcels in Souzay-Champigny and is vinified all in stainless steel. It typically represents about 50% of the domaine’s red wine production (60,000-70,000 bottles). With some additional time in the bottle, this cuvée is really leaning into Cabernet Franc’s earthy and herbal side, which I absolutely love. This wine is really intended to be drunk within five-ish years from vintage date, but structurally the wine can age much longer - it is really just a question of personal preference and how you prefer to enjoy your Cabernet Franc.

Much of the wine’s youthful, vibrant fruit has melted away to reveal a complex tapestry of earth and herbal notes, like rich potting soil, cedar leaves, beet root, za’atar, cool and lush evergreen forest, which are complemented by a bit of dried blueberry and cranberry mixing with violet potpourri, star anise and allspice. Bright, cleansing acidity with soft, silky tannins that finish with a touch chalkiness, the wine is suave, sophisticated with impressive impact and mid-palate weight from what was a cooler vintage for Loire Valley Cabernet Franc. Poised and timeless, I think this wine will continue to age gracefully for the medium term, and those earthier undertones will continue to become amplified with time. I enjoyed this with homemade duck confit and braised lentils, and it was a knockout pairing.

Tawse, 2013 Laundry Vineyard Cabernet Franc, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara, Ontario, Canada (13.5% abv., SRP $35CAD): There are a handful of “lighthouse” Cabernet Francs that have been extremely significant to me on this journey, and this wine is one of them. When I started my wine career in the Niagara Peninsula, the Laundry Vineyard Cabernet Franc from Tawse was a wine that delivered one of those “ah-ha” moments and helped to further embolden my passion for this grape. The late Paul Pender was one of Ontario’s great champions of Cabernet Franc, and he made upwards of 5 expressions of the variety each vintage. The wine comes from some of the oldest Cabernet Franc vines planted in Ontario (planted in the early 1980s, and the parcel is on very deep, iron oxide-rich sandy soils close to Lake Ontario’s shoreline.

Approaching a dozen years of bottle age, the wine is showing really well - a testament to Paul’s meticulous approach to crafting Cabernet Franc. Aromatic and spicy on the nose with fruit, earth and spice working in tandem, showcasing notes of cranberry, raspberry and a touch of sour cherry, complemented by heady herbals (dried rosemary, sage and fresh marjoram) and punchy, warming spices (lots of cinnamon, in ground and stick form, dried ginger, chilli flake). The palate shows additional layers of capsicum (roasted poblano pepper) and cured tobacco. Soft but cleansing acidity that shows nice persistence through the finish marries well with fine, linen-like tannins to create a round, elegant, well-defined structure that carries through to a long, spicy finish. Balanced, intentional, serious yet approachable. Today, Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Southbrook Vineyards vinifies the Laundry Vineyard Cabernet Franc, and Casey Hogan’s bottling from the 2020 vintage is exceptional, not to mention a superb value.

Domaine de la Chevalerie, 2019 Bourgueil “Noms d’Oiseaux” (13% abv., SRP $25USD/15 EUR): Perhaps my subconscious reached for this recently as an optimistic foreshadowing of the eventual return of songbirds and, along with them, more spring-like weather. And every time I drink a wine from Domaine de la Chevalerie, I am reminded that I am long overdue for a return visit to the domaine to taste with Emmanuel and Laurie - two of the kindest people in the industry you will ever meet. The Noms d’Oiseaux is part of the estate’s range of Cuvées d’Inspiration that come from a mix of parcels selected to deliver a certain “sentiment” in the glass. Noms d’Oiseaux is from deeper alluvial soils, a little lower on the slope in Restigné, known to give generous fruit and a deeply pleasurable wine.

Soft-spoken and understated on the nose, the wine leads with purity and clarity. Reserved and refined aromatics that balance fresh fruits and herbs. A mix of red and dark fruits (Bing cherry, black raspberry, and a touch of wild blueberry compote) are on equal footing with a mix of soft, wispy herbs (opal basil, tarragon, spearmint) and a pretty pink floral perfume. More layers emerge on the palate including lush forest floor, liquorice, cardamom, clove and a hint of Sichuan peppercorn. Lively, fresh and refreshing acidity weaves together effortlessly with silky, supple tannins. Round and plush while also being beautifully delineated, the wine is generous without being overbearing. It is absolutely scrumptious, moreish and welcoming with enough complexity to invite further introspective contemplation if the moment allows for it and the drinker is yearning for a deeper experience.

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Thank you, as always, for reading and for your continued support. What wine do you reach for on that first, beautifully spring day? Let me know in the comments!