Wine Last Sold on: December 16, 2012
Domaine Laporte
Featured Wine:
2011 "Le Bouquet" Cabernet Franc
| Varietal: | Cabernet Franc |
| Region: | France: Loire Valley |
| Availability: | Top Secret |
| Avg. Price: | $30.00 |
| Wine Spies: | $21.99 |
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SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:
We only showcase wines that we love. While our emphasis is on quality first, every now and again we come across a real standout wine that rises above. When we do, we issue alerts like this one.
SUPER QPR ALERT:
At today’s special Wine Spies price, this wine delivers tremendous value - and a drinking experience that exceeds expectations, easily earning it this special QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) Alert.
Mission Codename: Le Retour à la Loire
- Operative
- Agent Red
- Objective
- Our Operatives love great Cabernet Franc. Send Agent Red back to France for the perfect Cabernet Franc - and secure an ample quantity for our International Sunday Selection program
- Mission Status
- Accomplished!
Final Assessment
We have not had the good fortune to showcase a French Cabernet Franc since 2008. It is with great pleasure that we offer you a lovely, youthful Franc from the pristine Loire Valley in central France. The Loire is notable for its castles and its wines - our favorite is Cabernet Franc.
Today’s wine is bright and fresh, with an easy acidity that makes the wine a wonderful companion for a diverse range of foods. We recommend a loaded burger or a plate of soft cheeses with a crusty baguette.
This Franc is not made in the fruit-forward California style - rather, in the more austere and earthy French style. Be sure to decant, and witness a transformation of fruit and body with the wine showing off more complex flavors and an elegant feel.
Tasting Profile
Youthful in appearance with a deep purple hue. The brilliant color expresses a beautiful iridescent quality.
Rich, well developed, and balanced with aromas of dried black cherry, black olive and a subtle hint of spice. Earthy undertones meld with hints of graphite and soft herbs.
Plush and round with a bright and youthful character. The wine softly skates across the front palate, bursting with flavor at the mid-palate.
Fruit forward and rich with flavors of dried cherry, rose petals, and violets, supported by soft hints of green peppercorn and black olive.
Clean and medium long in length with gradually drying tannins that provide a slight pucker at the lips and cheeks.
What the Winery Says
A real “Bouquet” of red berries highlighted by spicy notes. A gourmet pleasure in the mouth that reveals all the beauty of the hillsides of the Loire Valley.
Vineyard
The grapes come from the slopes of the Loire Valley. This area stretches from the Auvergne to the Atlantic Ocean on 13 departments. « Le Bouquet » comes from vines in the Loire Valley.
Vinification
A real “Bouquet” of red berries highlighted by spicy notes. A gourmet pleasure in the mouth that reveals all the beauty of the hillsides of the Loire Valley.
Tasting
The red wine develops the harmonious notes of red fruit so representative of the Loire vineyards. Aromas of strawberries, redcurrants, and cherries “sweeten” the hints of spice. A wonderful freshness makes this wine delicate and easy to drink.
Wine and Food
Light, discreet, elegant, this fruity wine is charming. Guinea fowl or other white meats are perfect as are various cold meats. After approximately 11 days of maceration to extract a maximum of fruit, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in thermoregulated stainless steel tanks - necessary to achieve its finesse and suppleness.
About the Winery
Established in 1850, in Saint-Satur, Laporte Estate today has a high reputation due to rigorous and distinctive work.
The village of Saint-Satur is framed by its vineyards along the loire and is seen as the door of Sancerre. The property extends over 30 hectares currently planted with Sauvignon Blanc for fine white wines (80% of the area) and Pinot Noir for luscious red and rosé wines. It includes “Le Rochoy” from an exclusive piece of flint to 8,5 hectare patch in Bannay, and “La Comtesse”, located on the Kimmeridgian marls of the hill slopes of “La Côte des Monts Damnes” in Chavignol.
The Bourgeois Family, who have a winery in Chavignol, have owned Laporte Estate since 1986.
At that time, the patriarch of Laporte Estate, Mr René Laporte, approached members of the Bourgeois Family, anchored for many decades in the Sancerre area.
Since 2010, Jean-Pierre Laporte, a son of René Laporte, has retired, entrusting his Estate to Laporte Estate, located just a few steps away, in the historical heart of Saint-Satur.
