The WINE LOVER's Loire Valley Guide! - Finding the Source of Cabernet Franc & Chenin Blanc! (France)
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- čas přidán 20. 02. 2020
- Watched Episode #1 about Sancerre & the homeland of Sauvignon Blanc: • The Origins of Sauvign...
Today I’m taking you to discover absolute gems of French red and white wines you should know about, we’ll go first in Vouvray where some of the best Chenin Blanc wines are made in the world, both still whites and sparkling wines, and we’re also going to go in Cabernet Franc country, in Bourgueil, where we’ll learn how incredibly age-worthy and fascinating the red wines of the Loire can be.
Video content (transcription):
What is up guys? This is Episode #2 of a Wine Trip I made a few months ago down the Loire River of France and its various and varied wine countries. Today I’m taking you to discover absolute gems of French red and white wines you should know about, we’ll go first in Vouvray where some of the best Chenin Blanc wines are made in the world, both still whites and sparkling wines, and we’re also going to go in Cabernet Franc country, in Bourgueil to be specific, where we’ll learn how incredibly age-worthy and fascinating the red wines of the Loire can be. There’s quite affordable too for the quality they offer. So this is a video for those looking for affordable gems and absolutely underrated wines. There I tasted a vertical lineup of wines all the way back to 1911. An incredible experience I’ll tell you more about in just a few minutes. I’ll also be meeting with local winemakers so we really get to understand what this region is all about. Let’s go….
From Vouvray I went down to taste and learn more about the red wines made from Cabernet Franc in Tourraine, again, near the city of Tours, kind of in the center of the long Loire river. I’ve loved cabernet Franc for a long time, since I made some as a winemaker in Bordeaux of course, but I also made some in Tuscany as well as in Australia and the wines I made there were fantastic. It’s an amazing grape that somewhat has got the power and the concentration of Cabernet Sauvignon, but with more acidity, more floral notes of Violette, and more finesse overall. You have to know that Cabernet Franc is the backbone of some of the best wines in Bordeaux, namely some of the best wines in Saint-Emilion that are Chateau Cheval Blanc and Ausone for example, and those are some of the most expensive wines in the world. Anyhow, what I learnt in Bourgueil though, with an amazingly-friendly vigneron called Philippe Boucard of Domaine Lamé Delisle Boucard, is that the local Cabernet Franc wines from the Loire are not only excellent, fine, fruity and spicy, but they are also incredibly age-worthy. With Philippe in his stunning underground cellar dug into the limestone rock. Oh, and You also have to know that in this area, virtually every winery has an underground limestone cellar. Those not only highlight that here vines grow on the limestone rock itself, but they also provide the perfect conditions to refine and mature wines. Wines are simply more subtle and more elegant when they are made, matured and aged in these humid and cold caves. So we tasted bottles from 2018 and all the way back to 1911 through 1976, 1971, 1964, 1959, and they were all good and surprisingly fresh and vibrant. Because of their acidity and the vibrancy of their red berry characters, even the 1911 wine was still looking red and fresh in its color, it was spicy, it was deep, it was earthy, but still fruity too. Alive! You could still taste the grapes this wine was made from some 109 years ago. I mean, only wine allows you to travel back in time in such a way. And we paired these wines with delicious local food as well, in this incredible cave filled with old vintage bottles that are covered in this unbelievable crust of fungus. The friendliness and warmth of the local people, the pairing with food, the atmosphere. Absolutely unique and outstanding. And this tasting demonstrated for me that these wines from the Loire age pretty much, just as well as some of the top Bordeaux wines, needless to say that this is for a fraction of the price. So yes, it’s less prestigious and fancy, but if what matters to you is the pure quality of the wines, and the value for money which is sometimes important for some of us, well, Bourgeuil and other Cab Franc wines from the Loire are worth looking into. Now of course, needless to say that visiting the area is also worth considering as it’s so beautiful. You’ll see in the next episode that there are loads of stunning chateaus, I mean proper castles, and things to do in the area as well, it’s not only about wine, it’s about culture and having fun exploring history and landscapes…
In the next episode, I’ll take you further down the Loire River, to learn more about the sparkling wines of Saumur, the Chenin Blanc wines of Anjou, so going deeper into Chenin blanc and finding outstanding wines to explore, and we’ll also taste the delicious crisp and dry whites of Muscadet.
#JulienWineSchool #TravelWithJulien - Jak na to + styl
Great talks on wines. I am from California and I love my California wines. That said, my favorite wines are from France. Burgundy especially. Keep up the super videos. I am learning things every time.
There's just something about Cab Franc - love it!
Oh, yes Richard! In a way you'd wish more people would know and acknowledge how great a grape it is. But on the other hand it's more for us and more affordable this way. Glad for you and good on you you can appreciate it. We share this view certainly 👍😀🍷
as founders of #CabFrancDay and specialists in production of Cab Franc, we love hearing that!
Both Cab Franc and Chenin Blanc are very underrated grapes, I don't understand why as they produce excellent wines. I LOVE Vouvray wines, they are so versatile and delicious.
I know, I agree. I've always loved cab Franc. I made some when I was in Tuscany and in Australia as a winemaker, fantastic grape. The wines turned out delicious. I guess it can be a little more inconsistent as a wine compared to Cab Sav. Chenin blanc is great, but a little hard to understand as a wine drinker, also very variable in terms of wine styles it makes, so a little too changing for global fame I guess!?
LOVE wines from the Loire! Especially Vouvray and Anjou. Julien, I am loving your videos! I will definitely be expanding my palate AND cellar to reds and sparkling wines from here, as well.
Fantastic Curtis :-) Thanks much for taking the time. Glad to hear you enjoy the videos. Did you watch the Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre one?
@@CZcamsJulien
Not yet, but I plan to!
I'm drinking Chinon and Vouvray tonight! How perfect...delicious! Great video
Excellent Carrie! Fun coincidence :-) Did you enjoy the wines? Hope the video gave you a better sense of the background behind the wines. cheers
Such a great video, with footage and interviews etc. You deserve a lot of more views! Subscribed!
Another fantastic video Julien. You're on a roll. Cheers.
Thank you very much Al 🙏🙏🙏 enjoying making those. Glad you enjoy then too 🥂👍😀
Hey Julien! I can't seem to find the third and final part. Is it missing or am I simply blind?
I have always wondered what is that wine storage you have in your right hand side. Is that a home built wine storage. I would love to find out more about that unless it is just a reflection of something.
I’m curious about the vineyards of Clos de l’Epinay Julien. How do they farm on the limestone soils?
Hi Lynn, tx for stopping by :-) Not 100% what you mean, can you elaborate? Limestone soil is a soil, decomposed from limestone rock, so it includes sand, clay, silts, etc. which allows vines to grow. You need some particular rootstocks the vines must be grafted onto as lime can cause problems for absorption of certain minerals by the vines, but otherwise vines just grow on the soil. In some places the layer of soil on top of the limestone rock can be thinner than others, but there's generally pretty much always a layer of soil on top of the rock. It's very rare that vines grow directly on rock or rocks without being at least a layer containing some smaller particles and some organic matter.
Very loud music 🤯
Hello, i wanted to ask you something about one of the last Videos about Leoville-Barton. 1. Ist it possible to visit the Chateau Leoville Barton and 2. What do you think about the new wine of Lilliane Barton - Chateau Mauvesin Barton ? I want to go in Summer to Bordeaux and really would like to visit it but without this crazy Tourist groups
Hi Folker. had a look at their website and they're not explicit about winery visits. Let me ask the contacts I have there. I'll get back to you if I hear back some info. Otherwise I would advise to get in touch with them via their website or try facebook, I find wineries often answer better on FB message than emails. I'll let you know if I get any info.
@@CZcamsJulien thank you, very much Julien
@@folkerseebacher1978 Dear Folker, Thank you for your interest in the Barton family wines ! Chateau Langoa and Leoville Barton are closed for 2 years for important renovation work, but you still have the opportunity to taste these 2 St Julien wines at the third wine property of the Bartons : Chateau Mauvesin Barton in Moulis, located only 20 mns drive from St Julien, on the way back to Bordeaux. Hope to see you there !
J'ai besoin de trouver mes vieux livres de cuisine, de vin et histoire francais, pour utilizer avec votre videos!!! J'ai plus des livres, mais J'en ai besoin des nouveaux. Je crois que c'est important pour apprendre l'importance de l'histoire et les geurres anglaises avec du vin, n'est pas?
Oh, oui. Les histoires de guerre, ca passe mieux avec du vin. Les guerriers l'ont toujours su, n'est-ce pas?
Good content, but the music is disqualifying - Loire is a chill laid back artisanal wine region
Tx for the feedback, the appreciation of music is subjective :) sorry to hear you didn't enjoy this one. cheers!
The music is too inaccurate
Should he play DeathMetal??
Terrible “music”
Rude comment, strange tastes. Cheers mate 🥂🤗