2018 Domaine de la Garrelière Cinabre

WINEMAKER: François & Pascaline Plouzeau
REGION: Loire Valley, FR
VARIETAL: Cabernet Franc
VITICULTURE: Certified Biodynamic

This is the top red cuvée from the Garreliere family where the grapes are hand-harvested from 30 to 40 year old vines growing in Aeolian sand and clay derived from flint sitting on a limestone base. The fermentation was carried out in large concrete tanks for around three weeks followed by malolactic fermentation in barrels.

The wine was then aged in 500 litre barrels, one third of which were new, for a period of 12 months before being brought back together for two months before being bottled. The new barrels are fairly large at 500 litres so the wine does not take on the new wood taste nearly as much as it does when smaller 220 litre barrels are used. In fact the wood is barely noticeable in this wine. The bottling was accompanied by the addition of a tiny amount of sulphur.

François and Pascaline Plouzeau maintain an immaculate vineyard near the fascinating village of Richelieu which lies south of Tours quite close to the Chinon region. Here they implement strict biodynamic vineyard practices which are certified by Ecocert and Biodyvin. A feature of their lovely wines is the wonderful set of labels produced by local artists that reflect the naming of the wine. So the racy Cendrillon white, as the name suggests, has a Cinderella theme. Tasmanians will note a Samek-like whimsy in some of the paintings.