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750ml
Bottle:
$34.95
12 bottles:
$34.25
100% Cabernet Franc. Les Picasses is the most famous Chinon lieu-dit, close to the village of Beaumont-En-Véron on...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.20
12 bottles:
$17.10
100% Cabernet Franc. 2022 is the first vintage for the new entry-level Chinon from Raffault. The fruit comes from...
750ml
Bottle:
$17.91
12 bottles:
$15.83
100% Cabernet Franc, grown in clay and gravel soil. Vines average 30 years-old. Spontaneous fermentation with...
750ml
Bottle:
$25.20
12 bottles:
$24.70
100% Cabernet Franc. Like the more renowned Les Picasses, Les Peuilles is a lieu-dit close to the village of...
750ml
Bottle:
$13.94
$15.17
12 bottles:
$13.66
This ruby-colored Cabernet Franc has attractive aromas of violet, forest floor, crushed dried rose petals and light...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$62.93
At the foot of the gravelly terrace, partly formed by the erosion of the limestone slope, this very special...
750ml
Bottle:
$33.93
12 bottles:
$33.25
100% Cabernet Franc. Close to the town of Chinon, Clos Guillot is a hillside vineyard with S-SW exposure, near the...
750ml
Bottle:
$24.94
12 bottles:
$24.44
100% Cabernet Franc. Les Barnabés stands apart from Raffault's other main sites, Les Picasses and Les Peuilles,...
750ml
Bottle:
$20.95
12 bottles:
$20.53
100% Cabernet Franc. Vines ranging from 50 to 90 years-old, grown in alluvial soil in Cravant-les-Côteaux....
Pre-Arrival
Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Clos Guillot 2020
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$36.09
91-93 Hailing from the limestone-clay slopes on the outskirts of Chinon town, home to other famous vineyards like...
375ml
Bottle:
$18.00
12 bottles:
$16.63
100% Cabernet Franc. Les Picasses is the most famous Chinon lieu-dit, close to the village of Beaumont-En-Véron on...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$43.26
The 2019 Les Varennes du Grand Clos is starting to mellow with an extra year in bottle since I last tasted. It...
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle:
$71.46
The fruit for the 2020 Les Varennes du Grand Clos comes from a site where the top of the slope is mainly clay and...
750ml
Bottle:
$34.94
12 bottles:
$34.24
Elegance in Chinon embodied. Smoky notes intermingled with pure black cherry and violets.
750ml
Bottle:
$27.93
100% Cabernet Franc. Les Picasses is the most famous Chinon lieu-dit, close to the village of Beaumont-En-Véron on...
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle:
$17.58
Brilliant ruby with aromas of toasted nuts and spice. Smooth on the palate with developing notes of black pepper,...
Cabernet Franc Chardonnay France Loire Valley Chinon
Cabernet Franc is not simply an important grape varietal for the fact that it is one of the most widely grown strains of vine in the world, but also because it is a vital grape in the production of many of the finest wines the world has ever seen. For centuries in its native France, it has been a varietal synonymous with elegance and high quality, and has become a key fruit in the production of the Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style blended wines which have gone down in history thanks to their magnificent flavors, aromas and levels of aged complexity. However, Cabernet Franc is also a wine grape varietal for use in single variety, unblended wines, and has plenty to offer on its own. Most commonly, it is renowned for its wide bouquet, which often includes fascinating notes of tobacco, violets or bell pepper over a beautifully pale and decadent liquid.
Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one which has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is the Chardonnay. This green skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape, and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.
Year in, year out, France enjoys its prestigious reputation as the producer of the finest wines in the world. With a wine making history which spans several thousand years and owes its expertise to the Romans, it comes as little surprise that this most highly esteemed of the Old World wine countries continues to impress and enchant both novices and experts to this day. Despite the rise in quality of wines from neighboring European countries, not to mention the New World, the French wine industry continues to boom, with up to eight billion bottles being produced in recent years. However, France prides itself on always putting quality before quantity, and the wide range in fine produce is a testament to the dedication and knowledge of the wineries across the country. Indeed, from rich and complex reds to light and aromatic white wines, French wines are as varied and interesting as they are enjoyable to drink, making this country a firm favorite for wine lovers across the globe.
Within France, the one region most closely associated with fine white and rosé wines is surely the Loire Valley. With over eight controlled appellations, and a relatively large expanse of land covering this wide valley, the Loire Valley is an ideal location for wineries wishing to produce large quantities of excellent quality vines for their wine production. Indeed, this region has been associated with excellent white wines for over a thousand years, with it once being the favorite wine region for the crowned heads of England, France and beyond. Today, it produces a wide range of white wines, and several rosé and red varieties also. It is also widely celebrated for being home to some of France's most lively and fruity sparkling crémant wines, which more than match those produced in nearby Champagne.