Winemaker Notes
Yannick Amirault first began acquiring plots in the famed Bourgueil lieu-dit of Le Grand Clos in the 1990s and now owns 2 hectares. This renowned hillside site is noted for its clay and flint soils over limestone bedrock and its southern exposure that ensures wines of depth, refined structure, and tremendous aging potential. Yannick’s vines here average 45 years old and have been certified organic since 2009.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From low-yielding Cabernet Franc vines that average 45 years of age and root in the silex clay soils of the côte, the 2019 Bourgueil Le Grand Clos opens with a pure, fine and intense, concentrated but also aromatic and fragrant bouquet of dark and red fruits and crushed stones along with refreshing lemony and spicy notes. Round and very elegant on the palate, this is a beautifully balanced Grand Clos with a concentrated finish with tight but fine tannins and a fresh acidity that gives a positive astringency. The aftertaste is long and intense but always in balance and underlines the remarkable finesse of this wine that aged for 12 to 18 months in 400-liter tonneaux. Tasted in June 2021.
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Decanter
Yannick and his son Benoît run Domaine Yannick Amirault, making great Cabernet Franc. Their vineyard holdings include parcels in both Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. Le Grand Clos is a privileged site on the hillside with flinty clay soils over limestone. Grapes are harvested by hand into small boxes. Fermentation is in tapered conical wooden vats. The wine is then matured in 400-litre barrels for 12-18 months depending on the vintage. The deep coloured, powerful 2019 has spice and violets notes with a rich texture of ripe black fruits, well structured with well-worked tannins. It needs more time in bottle and has very good ageing potential.
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.
On the north bank of the Loire Valley in the western end of the greater Touraine region, Bourgueil makes a sturdy and aromatic Cabernet Franc.