FRANC-LY MY DEAR......

Be it Chinon, Bourgueil, St Nicolas de Bourgueil or just Anjou Villages, Loire Valley Cabernet Franc remains highly unfashionable. While the very top wines from Bordeaux command thousands of dollars a bottle, a good example of Loire Valley Cabernet Franc costs no more than $50 per bottle, sometimes considerably less.

The 2009 Anjou Villages Sur Schistes (grown on schistous soil) from leading producer Château Pierre-Bise, actually a blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, is a wine that can not be replicated outside of the relatively cool climate of the Loire Valley. Just medium in body, it delivers a refined palate of vibrant dark berry fruit. Savoury and with lively acidity, it is immensely food friendly, and would be glorious with a roast leg of lamb or rib of beef. It possesses fruit depth and a tannic framework only seen exceptional vintages. This beauty is best left for at least 5 years and should keep for or a decade or so thereafter. At less than $25 per bottle, it is a veritable bargain.

2009 ANJOU VILLAGES SUR SCHISTES
Producer: Château Pierre-Bise
Variety: Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2009
Region: Loire Valley, France
ABV: 13.0%
Closure: Natural cork
Format: 750ml
Retail price: $24.99
Date tasted: 7 January 2012

Tasting Note:
Deep ruby red. Concentrated nose of cassis, essence of summery berry fruit. Quite tight on the palate, plenty of structured fine grained tannins. This is a wine that needs time, at least 5 years. Plenty of vibrant dark berry fruit when one digs beneath the tannins, cherries, plums and blackcurrant. In the modern wine context, this is a veritable bargain, particularly when compared to current prices for red Bordeaux. Cellar for at least 5 years before approaching.
Score: 17+/20