This north-facing hillside is a typical Véron terroir (millarge on yellow tufa) with the presence of fine clays. The millarges give accessible wines in their youth. The fine clays accentuate the aromatic complexity and the aging potential. Les Moulins de Beau Puy is therefore accessible now but can wait ten years in the cellar or even more. This is the neighboring plot of Les Pucelles. For lovers of the terroir, a comparative tasting of the 2 cuvées is very interesting.
DOMAINE DES FRÈRES: INAUGURAL VINTAGE OF NEW FACE IN LOIRE CABERNET FRANC
Loire Valley Cabernet Franc typically falls into two styles for me. The 'glou glou' carbonic-driven expressions that are full of watermelon and bubblegum notes are on one side of the spectrum, and the more savory, herbaceous, ageable and seriously structured examples are on the other end. A disappointment is that the latter style is typically released so young that it demands discipline not to pop your bottles before they're ready to drink. Luckily the brand new wines from Domaine des Freres offer a compromise. Savory, varietally correct, herbaceous, and most importantly SILKY. These smile-inducing Cabernet Francs are textural bliss, and the low sulfur style offers enough feral complexity to please the natural wine lover while keeping your in-laws happy (relatively speaking).
The brothers (frères) of Domaine des Frères grew up in Chinon, but were encouraged to take more stable office jobs over the life of a vigneron. The office life didn't last long before they were off to Beaujolais for internships at none other than the iconic Yvon Métras, the notoriously unavailable Jules Chauvet disciple and secret 5th member of Kermit's Gang of Four. [Backstory: After a brief 'stint' alongside the "Gang of Four" (Lapierre, Thevenet, Foillard, Breton) with importer Kermit Lynch, Metras completely disappeared from the US market.] The brothers of Domaine des Frères also worked internships alongside Patrick Corbineau and Chinon's legendary Bernard Baudry. 2020 marks their very first vintage and an opportunity for you to be on the leading edge of 'What's Cool in Cabernet Franc'. - Brandon
