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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:
$26.44
$27.60
12 bottles:
$25.91
100% Cabernet Franc. The Grézeaux vines are the Baudry’s oldest at around 50 years and were the very first part of...
750ml
Bottle:
$44.25
$46.00
12 bottles:
$42.94
Les Charmes hails from a 1.5ha slope on clay/limestone. The 2020 is an elegant, light bodied style yet has plenty 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 12
Bottle:
$17.58
Brilliant ruby with aromas of toasted nuts and spice. Smooth on the palate with developing notes of black pepper,...
750ml
Bottle:
$14.94
$15.50
12 bottles:
$14.64
This wine is a bright but soft ruby colour. Highly aromatic (with a bouquet of raspberry and violet), this robust and...
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:
$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....
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:
$19.25
$22.00
100% Cabernet Franc. Les Barnabés stands apart from Raffault's other main sites, Les Picasses and Les Peuilles,...
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:
$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:
$54.90
The 2008 Chinon Les Picasses is an authentic representative of the vintage as well as of the domain. The 2008 has a...
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...
Cabernet Franc Melon de Bourgogne 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.
One of the more unusual French grape varietals, Melon de Bourgogne has been grown in and around the Loire Valley for several hundred years. In fact, this grape was first planted in the Loire region of Pays Nantais back in the mid 17th century, after a devastating frost decimated most of the red grapes which were typical in the area. The winemakers of Pays Nantais were keen to cultivate vines which were hardy, high yielding, and capable of surviving another such frost, and so turned their attention to Melon de Bourgogne for this very reason. The native home of the varietal is actually in Burgundy, where it is still grown to a lesser extent.
Because Melon de Bourgogne produces naturally heavy yields, the vintners of Pays Nantais go to great lengths to reduce the amount of fruit the vines bear. This allows the finest characteristics of the grape to come forward, and also opens up the opportunity for it to express the wonderful granite and schist soils in which the vines are grown. Melon de Bourgogne is a minerally white wine grape varietal, with a very subtle set of fruit flavors. It is prized for its freshness and brightness, and is seeing a revival in the twenty first century as an excellent wine for pairing with a wide range of foods.
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.