Nicolas Grosbois

Panzoult, Loire Valley

2017 Chinon ‘Cuisine de ma Mère’

Cuisine de ma Mere translates to ‘in the kitchen of my mother’, a wine designed to capture that feeling of home and home cooking. 100% Cabernet Franc from the winery’s younger vines, which grow on calcerous limestone and clay soils. Like all Nicolas Grosbois wines, the fruit is destemmed to achieve the best balance of tannins. Fermented in open cement vats and aged exclusively in tank to preserve freshness and purity. Opens with aromas of violets, black and purple fruits, and a wisp of green herbs expected from the varietal. The palate is led by brambly ripe dark fruits, but also holds a red fruit acidity, with floral tones and spices and dried herbs in the background. There’s a sanguine minerality to the palate with a juicy moreish texture throughout. A hint of cocoa and leather to end. Pure and expressive Cabernet Franc.

2017 Chinon ‘Gabere’

The Gabere (pronounced ‘Ga-bar’) is made with fruit from the estate’s oldest vines, some over 100 years old. Fermented in tank with natural yeasts before aging 2 years in cement vat. Aromatic with ripe bramble fruit, the palate is fruit forward with blackberry, stewed black cherries, ripe black plums and blackcurrants. The mouthfeel is smooth and almost milky, accompanied by a smokey mineral line and tannins to balance out the fruit generosity. Multi-layered and complex, this is a wine with all the signs and structure to reward a wait in the cellar. If given the chance to age, it will develop flavours leaning towards riper deep black fruit notes, dried fruits, dark chocolate and spice and an intensified fruit palate that retains its freshness. An exemplary wine that demonstrates the best of what Cabernet Franc from Loire has to offer.