Wine Blogging Wednesday 44: French Cab Franc

This month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday finds our host as the slightly well-known Gary Vaynerchuk.  You know, that guy who chews his wine, along with his dirt. He picked a fairly narrow focus this time: it had to be French and it had to be Cabernet Franc. 

Well, the Loire Valley immediately jumped out, and within the Loire, the appellations of Bourgueil, Chinon, and Saumur-Champigny.  Since I’ve had the second and the third before, I decided to go for the first this time.  Located within Touraine, Bourgueil is known to present some of the finest examples of Cab Franc, which is also known locally as Breton.  Tom Stevenson’s Encyclopedia recommends tasting them within 6 months or after 6 years.

With my wine being only a couple years old, I was not drinking within the suggested time frame. But it turned out to be an acceptable mistake. My choice was the 2005 Domaine du Bel Air Bourgueil. And if anyone out there knows French, I’m curious as to what the phrase “les Vingt lieux dits” means. (I got “the twenty —- said.” Huh?) The wine, however, left me less confused. While my first sniff was sweet–hints of vanilla– the second one bombarded me with images of a sausage and cheese plate garnished with fresh herbs. Then sandalwood incense and a smoking chimenea. Finally tart raspberry and cherry. The first taste didn’t quite live up to the nose; it was tarter and greener than expected. But the finish was softer and more mellow, and it lingered nicely. Cherry, cocoa, slight earth, and a strong presence of tannin.

We had the wine with a meal of New York steaks topped with baked onions, sauteed mushroom medley, and roasted carrots and potatoes. A very good pairing, the rich bites of meat and mushrooms helped to soften the wine even more. It was actually doing so on its own, as well—getting more approachable with each taste. BK and I both really enjoyed the depth of the Bourgueil’s flavors, especially the smoky sweetness.

Overall, a good theme and a great find for a new appellation in a wine country I’m quickly discovering I like much more than I thought. I’m just curious to see how many participants we have in this month’s WBW, a wonderful idea created by Lenn Thompson but perhaps brought to its heights by Gary and his Vayniacs.