This is dark in color with a wonderful mix of dark berry fruit, leather and earth on the nose with the ripe fruit anchoring the savory notes. The palate is medium bodied with thorough ripe black cherry and blackcap fruit with juicy acidity keeping this wine extremely fresh and supporting the silky tannins. It is slightly smoky with notes of soft leather and warm earth offsetting the fruit. 

WINE INFORMATION

Complices de Loire wines are produced by winemaker François-Xavier Barc Gerard Valle.  Also known as FX Barc, François-Xavier makes wines from his estate vineyards in the Loire Valley.  The Bourgueil vineyard consists of clay and limestone soils at an elevation of 600 feet.  The vines have northern and southern sun exposure.  His Cabernet Franc is fermented in stainless steel, aged for 4 months in stainless steel tanks, and then bottle-aged for an additional 4 months.  He named this wine Les Castines because Castines is a synonym for limestone and refers to the calcareous soils of the estate. This 100% Cabernet Franc wine is from organically-farmed 50-year old vines.

Cabernet Franc is often used for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style.  However, in the Loire’s Chinon region, Cabernet Franc is vinified alone.  The grape is one of two genetic parents of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenere.  Generally, this grape is lighter in color than Cabernet Sauvignon but can be just as intense and rich.  Traditionally Cabernet Franc offers a peppery perfume that flows into the palate along with black fruits and green peppers.  Having less tannins that Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a smoother mouthfeel.  Cabernet Franc wine profiles are dictated by the soils upon which the grapes were grown, especially in the Loire Valley.  In the United States, Cabernet Franc grows well in the Finger Lakes Region due to its hardy nature and shorter season requirements.