M. Plouzeau Chateau de la Bonneliere Chinon Rive Gauche 2018

I have been tasting more Cabernet Franc lately and enjoying it more than I expected. Since Cabernet Franc can be grown in a wide variety of climates, the wines are quite varied in color, body and flavor. Cabernet Franc is native to the Bordeaux region and along with Sauvignon Blanc is the parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. Although Cabernet Franc is used for blending in Bordeaux, it is the star in many other regions such as the eastern US, parts of California and parts of South America.

The wine manager of my local shop has been introducing me to the red wines from Chinon in the Loire Valley of France which are 90 to 100 percent Cabernet Franc. The Loire Valley is a cool wine region where white wines dominate, except for the middle Loire including Chinon. Since the climate is cool, the Cabernet Franc wines are lighter bodied and fruit forward.

M. Plouzeau Chinon Rive Gauche is made from organically farmed grapes from 30 year old vines. The aging process is a relatively short 6 months and the wine has 13.5% alcohol.

This is a medium bodied, fruit forward wine. There are flavors of red fruit, dark cherry and spice with soft tannins. The finish is only average. This is an easy drinking, fruity, but not compex wine. The average price for this wine is about $15, which is what I paid with a discount coupon.

SC Wine Joe rating = 88 points

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