This is a predominantly Tone & Backbone wine, but it shares structural nuances of Smooth & Silky as described in the tasting note below.
Tasting Notes
A medium plus bodied Tone and Backbone, Smooth and Silky wine with black currant, red berries, and a melange of tobacco, tomato leaf, herbs, and leather, finishing with a smokey, clove spice.
Body is the impression of a wines weight, density, or its ‘mouth-feel’. Some wines feel weighty, or full bodied, while others feel light bodied. Wine runs the gamut from light to full, with most falling somewhere in between.
TANNIN
Low
Subtle
Balanced
Pronounced
High
Tannin can range greatly in wine, but it is necessary to some degree, and a necessary constituent for red wines to age well. In high amounts, it can cause a drying affect, which is sensed mostly on the gums and tongue. Tannin is a natural preservative extracted from grape skins, otherwise known as polyphenols that are micronutrients and antioxidants with potential health benefits.
ACIDITY
Soft
Subtle
Balanced
Pronounced
High
Acidity is a foundational component in wine. In fact, low acidity, or ‘flabby’ wine (as the term suggests) is a negative. You can sense acidity mainly on the sides of your tongue. Acidity generally ranges from balanced to high. Crisp acidity adds freshness, making your mouth water. Acidity is a necessary element and helps to balance other components.
SWEETNESS
Dry
Off Dry
Medium Dry
Medium Sweet
Very Sweet
Most wines are characterized as dry to off-dry, but there are some grape varietals, like Riesling, that run the gamut from dry to sweet. The tip of the tongue mainly detects sweetness, which is why it is often the primary characteristic detected. Sweetness is derived from residual sugar that did not ferment into alcohol.
ALCOHOL
13.5%
Alcohol is the by-product of fermentation. Differing grape varieties have differing potential alcohol levels, but regardless warmer areas result in riper grapes resulting in higher alcohol. Alcohol level is an objective number, but its affect on its palate impression is largely determined with how well integrated and balanced it is with other components.
One of the best values for Cabernet Franc. Period.
GRAPE VARIETAL(S)
Cabernet Franc
100%Ca-ber-NAY FRANK
Cabernet Franc is grown all over the world, but the best expressions are generally found in France, specifically in the Loire, South West, and Bordeaux as a key part of many blends. Medium bodied and more aromatic than Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc’s aromas can have an herbaceous tinge depending on the ripeness level.
7th-generation winemaker, Thierry Boucard, along with his wife Christine, runs the poetically named Domaine de la Chanteleuserie, “where the lark sings,” producing captivating and complex cabernet franc from the famed Loire Valley region of Bourgueil.
The Boucards farm low-yielding and south-facing vineyards planted on well-drained chalky tuffeau soils covered by a layer of limestone and clay. In the winery a concerted effort is made to balance the body and structure of the wines through temperature-controlled fermentations, gentle twice-daily pumpovers, and aging in either stainless or large neutral-oak foudres.
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie’s wines, while approachable and enjoyable when young, have the structure to age gracefully. The wines punch above their weight; they are balanced with complex flavors and aromas of fruit, herbs, and minerals.
Black Currant
Tomato Leaf
Tobacco
