Haven't had
so many Brazilian Cabernet Francs yet. It was about time to change that! I had
this lively, tongue-dancing, easy-drinking and exotic fellow together with a highly unusual representative
from Bourgueil in the Loire
Valley + some classic
Vouvray from Huet for starters!
Vinícola Aurora Pequenas Partilhas Cabernet Franc 2008, Serra Gaúcha
Today’s head liner comes straight from Gaucho country in Rio Grande do Sul in the very South of Brazil.
It is a Cabernet Franc produced by Vinicola Aurora, a pretty large cooperative wine
producer which was established by Italian immigrant families in the 1930s.
Unlike the
next wine, the Bourgueil, this Cabernet Franc had a very transparent and vibrant dark red colour.
Its nose was very typical for Cabernet Franc wines. I guess. I spotted scents of mild
green pepper, barn nose, hints of cow manure and a decent, and not so typical, portion of
strawberries. The taste appeared to be very fruitful, strawberry fruitful, but
not in an aggressive or superimposed “New World Style” way. Again, light and
peppery flavours weren’t lacking. A certain freshness was provided by a vital
and lively acid influence and even some profundities were imaginable. Well, not
a very complex or overwhelmingly rememberable wine, but an honest-seeming, clear
fruited wine and doubtlessly easy-drinking wine with typical CF attributes for a bit too much dough!
Domaine des Ouches Bourgueil Grande Reserve 2005, Bourgueil
This Grande
Reserve Blend from Des Ouches was created from 90% Cabernet Franc and 10%
Cabernet Sauvignon. I am not afraid to emphasise my following statement: It was
the thickest and most viscous wine I have ever seen in my life. The colour
itself was very dark, very faint and purple black. At first the nose wasn’t
all too dense or multilayered. I got diffuse nasal feelings of a ride in the
countryside. I got fresh manure, musk and other rather unpleasant odours. Later,
scents of freshly incinerated ebony, tobacco, plumbago, rotting black earth and
even some dark cherries evolved! Wow! Roughly the same for the taste. I guess the dark
cherries been a bit more present and somehow reconciliatory. The juice in my
mouth was very viscous, nectar-like, earthy nectar-like maybe, but not really hyper concentrated. More like mildly above a medium concentrated wine.
For some reason this wine did not feel substantially heavier than the Brazilian
Cabernet Franc. Is that possible? Good question for you guys out there! Input, please :-)
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Sec 2007, Vouvray
This “aperitif”
bottle from the hyper famous and prestigious Vouvray winery had been open for a
day. So some dissenting impressions might have occurred. Its colour appeared to
be very dense and golden yellow. The nose showed refined smoke attributes, some
still fresh lemon and plenty of musty apples. Almost like a cider. Its tasted
reflected my bouquet impressions. I got plenty of cider, some remaining hints of
lemon, a pretty lively acid, some brew’y undertones and a well adjusted body. I
don’t know. Maybe the bottle has been a bit too old or the exposure to air was just a bit too long. Not my cup of Chenin!
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