2020 Les Athlètes du Vin Chinon Cabernet Franc

Responsibly Farmed
Hidden Gem

This is a crisp, bright bistro wine and textbook Cabernet Franc. The price might say “entry-level” but the concentration and complexity suggests otherwise. Serve with a slight chill on it and enjoy with anything off the BBQ.

Organic farming practices, hand-harvested, native yeast fermentation, minimal sulfur addition, and only 1,000 cases produced.

Red
  • Tasting Notes ripe raspberry, cherry, wild strawberry, rose petal, bell pepper, dried herbs
  • Variety Cabernet Franc
  • Region France, Loire Valley
  • Volume 750ml
  • Table Talk “Drinking wine is also a sport, as you have to lift your elbow — a very high-level intensity of physical activity, you know.” - Fabrice Gendrot, owner.

$27.00

In stock

Les Athlètes du Vin is a négociant project based in the heart of the Loire Valley. The group is made up of some of the region’s most dynamic and respected winemakers, including Thierry Germain, Pierre Breton, and Mathieu Vallée of Château Yvonne. All wines at Les Athlètes du Vin are vinifed by various members of the Vini Be Good network and are produced using their own grapes or grapes purchased from reliable friends and neighbors.

Winemaking is done with minimal intervention, native yeasts, and minimal sulfur, with light or no filtration implemented (depending on the cuvée). Les Athlètes du Vin strive to make delicious and authentic, that are both responsibly produced and affordable. The labels are created by French artist, illustrator, and cartoonist Michel Tolmer, who has been the unofficial lead artist of the French natural wine movement since the 1990s.

THE LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
The Loire is actually the largest river in France and the Loire Valley is a large region that follows as it flows towards the Atlantic. Another cooler climate region in France, the Loire Valley produces many exciting and exceptional red, rosé, and white wines in a variety of styles. Lean and lively white varieties like Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne or Melon Blanc) dominate in many sub-regions here including Anjou-Saumur, Touraine, and the Upper Loire (Centre). Rustic reds like Cabernet Franc, Gamay, and Côt (Malbec) are also grown in smaller areas. Some of the most infamous for Cabernet Franc are that of Bourgueil and Chinon located in the Touraine (Middle Loire). The Loire Valley is also known to produce quality sparkling wines from grape varieties including Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc (for rosé). You’ll often find these wines to be tart with fresh fruit flavors and labelled as Crémant de Loire.