Winemaker Notes
From the single parcel of Chaintres with 40+ year old vines, this Saumur-Champigny Rouge has an intense nose of spices and a hint of menthol. On the palate, the wine is pure and precise with a strong presence of black fruits and a finish marked by supple tannins.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2021 Chaintres is a serious, classical, almost Bordelais-like Cabernet Franc. It underwent long maceration before malolactic fermentation in barrels sourced from Château Latour, which may explain things. This is a succulent style with generosity on the palate and fine, mouth-coating tannins. Rich, black fruit and spice meet a hint of vanilla from the oak. Its plentiful acidity creates freshness. This is certainly an atypical Sables Verts due to the aging in small Bordeaux barrels rather than the usual foudres , but it is well judged.
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.
Marked by great châteaux built with the same tuffeau limestone that is also responsible for the excavation of so many of the famed Loire caves, Saumur is famous for its Chenin blanc based sparkling wines. Inside the Saumur region, Saumur-Champigny creates some of the Loire’s greatest Cabernet Francs.