Sunday, March 1, 2009

Chateau de la Roulerie Anjou les Maronis

When I asked the clerk in the wine store his opinion of this Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley, I was really faking it. I had tasted the wine a couple of years ago and had already decided to buy it. When he was a bit restrained in his enthusiasm, I knew that his tastes and mine were not in sync so I did not seek out his opinions on other wines I was less sure about buying.

The color is deep, dark and bluish, and the aromas are ripe and tannic--grape peels, flowers, herbs and pretty Cab Franc fruit. There is a slight green tone but it's more like the green of a floral bouquet than the bell pepper that you might find in a cheap Merlot. Some people don't like floral aromas in a red wine, but I find them quite appealing. The flavors are ripe and fruit-oriented with a dry, dusty finish that is typical of good Loire Cabernet Franc. As the importer's rep said when presenting this wine at a tasting, "it tastes like dirt and it's beautiful." It's a quality that matches well with certain foods, including linguine with garlic and olive oil; but it's not for everybody.

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