2005 Domaine du Collier Saumur Rouge La Ripaille
Clos Rougeard freaks lend me your ears….
Antoine Foucault is the son of Clos Rougeard owner, Charly Foucault and Domaine de Collier is his estate located in the Loire Valley in the Saumur AOC.
The Saumur AOC lies between the Anjou and Touraine appellations and the vineyard area is around 2,800ha. Historically it has been part of the Anjou AOC with the Count of Anjou ….Foulques the Black, stealing Saumur from the Count of Blois in 1025….obviously hoping old mate Blois wouldn’t notice…..for the record …..he did.
Geologically it has more in common with Touraine…..with Kimmeridgian goodness-a-go-go and prized spots of sandy chalks making perfect soil “hot-spots” for the growing of Cabernet Franc.
The Domaine du Collier was formed in 1999 by Antoine and Caroline Boireau, with the purchase of 4 hectares in the commune of Brézé within the lieu-dits ” La Ripaille”. Today, the estate weighs in at 6ha…..mostly Chenin Blanc with the balance comprising of Cabernet Franc.
The estate is farmed biodynamically and the grapes are harvested by hand with meticulous sorting once they reach the cellar. The ferments kick off using natural yeasts….minimal sulphur use with just a dab at bottling and I can’t find out much information regarding the elevage for this particular wine…..but I would presume it is a mix of old and new oak?
Deep red/purple showing pure flavours of blackberry and dark plum fruits….a very engaging, aromatic wine with hints of deep spice, scattered herbs, violets, vanilla pod, licorice and roast veal with licks of cedar, chocolate & garrigue…..my better half says it’s very pretty…or she might have meant me…..I can’t be sure.
Medium-bodied with quite a tenacious texture and drive on the palate….again black fruits mainly….blackberry and plum but there is a touch of redcurrant lift in there too. The oak is apparent but not overbearing and there are hints of forest floor, rosemary, thyme, spice, licorice and vanilla….it’s deep of earthy flavours with a very precise, quite linear cut on the mid-palate….a meaty, cedar-infused finish is set upon a solid….quite assertive, swathe of fine-grained, chewy, gravelly tannin and a swift line of minerally acidity.
It’s hard to get Cabernet Franc right and this one is a beauty….give it some more time in the cellar or a nice decant.
Price: $90 – Closure: Cork – Alcohol: 13% – Source: Cellar – Importer: Andrew Guard Fine Wines
Focussed........
