There’s an argument to be made for the Loire Valley being the most exciting French wine region of all right now. Part of this owes to the sheer breadth and diversity of its offerings (the Loire’s a long river); part of it is the Loire being a hotbed of natural winemaking; and another key element is the near-incomparable value of wines that continue to rocket upward in quality.
Today’s Chinon is the kind of over-performing red your trusty local sommelier is going to go out of his/her way to show you—not just because Loire reds are having a moment but because this is a classic appellation as interpreted by a relative newcomer. Avoiding the overly rustic route that dooms a lot of Chinons to mediocrity, Yves Plaisantin has quickly risen through the ranks despite only entering the game in 2011; it helps that he had the good sense to team up with heritage local grower Sébastien Jaulin, who had been selling fruit to négociants for decades. Today’s 2015, called “Les Hauts & Les Bas” (“the highs and lows”) is a multi-vineyard expression of the diverse terroirs of Chinon and a wine that instantly transported all of us to a Parisian bistro for a plate of steak frites. Naturally, we had to share it!
Today’s 2015 (a bold, ripe vintage) was aged for a year in a mix of concrete tanks and old oak barrels, then combined in stainless steel tanks for another 3-6 months. The wine has a satisfyingly deep purple-ruby hue and terrific buoyancy and nerve, showing great concentration without any aggressive tannins. Aromas of black cherry, red and black raspberry, tobacco, violets, mint, sage, and wet clay carry through to the juicy, medium-bodied palate. The telltale “green” notes of Cabernet Franc are detectable without being dominant, part of a dark-fruited, mineral-driven whole that enlivens the palate and gets you craving food. Decant it about 30 minutes before serving and enjoy now and over the next few years in Bordeaux stems at 60-65 degrees. Steak frites, or even better, steak au poivre would be a delicious companion—but anything from the bistro-food canon will work nicely. I can’t wait to make this pairing happen at my house. Cheers!