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What a disappointing weekend of racing. MVDP tried to give us some kino but it was dashed by Visma to protect their 27th-place finish. In any case, we have another sensational and hotly anticipated bottle of /WORLD TOUR WINE/ to enjoy!!
We are crossing the broad plain from the Atlantic coast to the Massif Central, cutting across the Loire Valley. The Loire wine region is a complicated patchwork of appellations strewn across the Loire River valley and its tributaries. Melon (Muscadet), Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume), and Chenin Blanc (Vouvray) are all grown here. However, today we enjoy a wine from CHINON, where today's stage began.
Chinon lays in the Middle Loire, betweens Angers and Tours. The appellation's claim to fame are its fresh, complex wines made of the Cabernet Franc grape. Most people experience Cab Franc as one of the background players in the red blends of Bordeaux, adding savory, fresh, vegetal notes to the fruit bombs of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Cab Franc for me has a very specific tell in the nose -- bell pepper. The pyrazine compounds common in Cab Franc give an unmistakable capsicum that can range from underripe green bell pepper to roasted red chilis.
Bernard Baudry "La Croix Boissee" Chinon 2021 ($60)
Pours a medium-dark ruby/purple, medium body. The nose leads with red bell and chili pepper (I think my nose is incredibly sensitive to pyrazines, for what it's worth), followed by cool raspberry and blackberry. There is an autumnal feel to the nose...like a cold October evening with the wind blowing dead leaves through a forest. The palate opens with lovely fruit, silk tannins, moderate acidity, and then vegetal finish.
Elegant, complex, really nice wine. I drink so much Pinot Noir and Gamay that I tend to shy away from other reds with more assertive body/alcohol/tannins, but this is so light on its feet (12.5% alcohol). Unfortunately feels a bit overpriced. Interesting to read other tasting notes on this because people rave about this -- I'm just a bit sensitive to pyrazines I think.