Pure Cabernet Franc goodness, the Couly-Dutheil Les Gravieres Chinon Rouge.
100% Cabernet Franc from Chinon in the Loire Valley of France. The wine does not spend any time in oak.
Sample submitted for review. The wine has an SRP of $24 and is available for as low as $18. Ready to buy? Check your local retailers. It is imported by Kindred Vines Import Co.
This charming cuvee is made from fully ripe Cabernet Franc grapes harvested on the gravely plains in Chinon, near the Vienne river. This wine expresses fresh red berries aromas with smooth tannins. A wine that is very easy to drink.
13.5% Alcohol
The 2017 Couly Dutheil Les Gravieres Chinon Rouge begins with a nicely perfumed aroma of green pepper, graphite and red berries.
Tasting reveals that the fresh fruit shines through with no oak treatment on this wine but at the same time this is not fruit bomb. Featuring a smooth, silky mouthfeel this is a balanced and quite elegant wine with just enough complexity to keep it interesting. It's a great wine to just sip and contemplate.
It ends dry, long and slightly grippy with a bit of that graphite from the nose returning at the very end. It really opens up nicely after a couple hours too so give it plenty of time to breathe.
Ready to buy? Check your local retailers.
You can also find more of our favorite Cabernet Franc here.
