Domaine de l’Enchantoir is a delicious discovery from the Loire Valley’s newest appellation: Saumur Puy Notre Dame, which was codified as an AOC in 2009. Longtime SommSelect subscribers are most certainly familiar with our fanatic love for Cabernet Franc, and this is the latest example of just how much this variety delivers. When done correctly, it is perfumed and ethereal without harsh edges, a more darkly fruited, plumper answer to great red Burgundy.
Admittedly, single-varietal Cabernet Franc can be a tough sell, as many display “green,” bell-peppery notes derived from high concentrations of pyrazines in the grape. I am committed to showing our customers how incredible this grape can be, especially from an emerging appellation deep in the heart of Loire Valley—where Cabernet Franc shines best. This wine not only has the lifted perfume of the best Loire examples, but an extra level of depth that takes me briefly to another Franc stronghold—Bordeaux’s Right Bank. Domaine de l’Enchantoir’s fragrant and seamless 2014, called “Le Pied à l’Étrier,” reminds me of a miniature Cheval-Blanc, and it comes at a jaw-dropping price.
Saumur Puy Notre Dame is located due south of Saumur and is a matter of miles from Saumur-Champigny’s cult-like Clos Rougeard, producer of the priciest single-varietal Cabernet Franc in the Loire. Saumur Puy-Notre Dame is best known by its Roman Catholic cathedral that towers over the mass of vines sprawled throughout the appellation. Built in the 12th century, this UNESCO World Heritage site predates the first planted vines by only a few decades. Historically, this is a wine growing community that worked diligently to obtain their coveted and deserved AOC status in 2009. Domaine l’Enchantoir is one of just twenty producers in this close-knit wine community and they are slowly revealing themselves as serious contenders in the world of wine.
Domaine de l’Enchantoir farms organically from 40+ year old vines on elevations between 150-500 feet. The vines are rooted deep in clay and limestone soils that were deposited roughly 100 million years ago when most of the valley was submerged beneath Paris Basin’s ancient seas. So it’s safe to say their vines come with some pedigree. Their small team harvests manually and yields are always kept extremely low. Their mantra is minimal intervention in the winery, using only indigenous yeasts, followed by 20 months of aging in cement vats. These vessels are used to preserve the subtleties of Cabernet Franc while allowing a minuscule amount of oxygen to be integrated. The wine finishes its journey in their cool, chalky cellars beneath the estate, similar to the crayères you would find in Champagne.
In the glass, the wine shows a pale garnet core with brilliant orange reflections. You’ll catch a whiff of wonderful aromatics right when the cork is pulled, but they explode with red plum, red currant, dried orange peel, fresh rose petal, hibiscus, and a lovely hint of tobacco upon hitting the glass. I must mention again that there is nothing “vegetal” about this wine! On the palate, red fruits are confirmed: fresh raspberry, cranberry, wild strawberry, followed swiftly by underlying notes of wet stone and forest floor. I highly recommend opening the wine around 60-65 degrees in a Burgundian stem in order to fully showcase this perfumed wine. You’ll be amazed at the fragrant depths on the nose and the supple finish so make sure you don’t limit yourself to one bottle. This is an exciting opportunity to try a hidden gem from a place still widely unknown to the commercial world. A grilled Vietnamese dish would be a fantastic pairing here—the wine’s gentle contours and low alcohol will make it a good foil for spice, especially if you give it a slight chill. This is yet another wine in the low-$20s that knocked our socks off. We’re on a roll!
