The following is a direct order: Today's 32-year-old treasure is a must-buy for those who have a passion for mature French wine in its most classic form, and to further sweeten the deal, we’re offering it at a price that has no business being this low. The rarefied red in question is a small trove of 1989 “Clos de l'Olive” that came directly from Couly-Dutheil’s ancient 10th-century cellar after three decades of stock-still maturation. 

This iconic Chinon estate crafts what are arguably the most authentic and age-worthy Cabernet Francs anywhere in the world, and in exalted vintages like ’89—among the finest of the 20th century—their top bottlings seem to outright reject the negative effects of Father Time. “Clos de l’Olive” is one of those bottles. Like a rare-earth magnet, the power of attraction here is unavoidable for those enamored with unequivocally elite, authentic, terroir-loaded Cabernet in its peak window of evolution. Very limited quantities are available and at $68 a pop, we don’t expect them to last. Show it some air, and prepare to be blown away. Do not miss this. 

With sixth-century origins, “Clos de l’Olive'' is among Chinon’s greatest and most historic vineyards and Couly-Dutheil has been its sole owner for over 60 years. Located just east of Chinon proper, this walled, gently sloped site is home to old vines—some over a century—and rich clay-limestone soils. You’ll find their storied “Clos de l’Echo'' vineyard on the other side of town, which is where Couly-Dutheil came into existence: Exactly one century ago, Baptiste Dutheil purchased the best portion of this walled (clos) vineyard with the assistance of a distant cousin, René Couly. Subsequent generations of the Couly family have run and expanded the domaine ever since. 

Although roughly 85 out of every 100 bottles Couly-Dutheil produces is reserved for the restaurants and retailers of France, the allure for this renowned estate is not confined to their home country. The 15% that does trickle outside of the nation has found an increasingly fanatical fanbase the world over because each bottle is a paragon of Chinon’s storied terroir and a master class on classic Cabernet Franc. However, it’s the shocking age-worthiness of their top-tier reds (Clos de l’Olive and Clos de l’Echo) that really set them apart. As far as cellar appeal goes, these bottlings compete with the finest Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Rhône, period.

The mature vines in “l’Olive” are meticulously farmed and green harvested. After a strict sorting, the grapes are entirely de-stemmed and funneled into stainless steel tanks to begin a spontaneous fermentation that is generally completed within one month. The resulting wine ages roughly one year in these vessels before being bottled. This is a rare and shining example of a wine that has no need for wood aging—the old vines, fabled terroir, and clean winemaking does all the work. After two years in bottle, the wines are officially released but Couly-Duthiel is a strong advocate for holding back stock for further aging, sometimes decades, like today’s trove of 1989s. 

Old guards of SommSelect know that we taste and approve every bottle of wine that is offered, but sometimes we’re not allotted samples, so we pay for them ourselves. In even rarer instances, we buy the wine “blind.” As in, purchasing a parcel without tasting it, like we did for today’s cellar-direct 1989 “Clos de l’Olive.” Upon its arrival at our warehouse three weeks ago, we gently extracted the cork on a bottle and served everyone a few ounces in Burgundy stems. These wines have barely moved for three decades and they contain their original corks, so don’t be wary if yours has dark coloration. 

At first, the wine is tight and hard with dominating savory/tertiary aromas of pepper, tobacco leaf, olive, pencil lead, potting soil, leather, and ash. But give it air—no less than 30 minutes—and it blossoms into a jaw-droppingly classic beauty that rolls out supple waves of dried plum, smoke, black cherry skin, redcurrant, desiccated rose petal, green peppercorn, wild herbs, crushed rock, and dried black raspberry. Medium-bodied and ultra-savory, the tannins have been beautifully rounded and the acidity has perfectly melded into the surviving core of fruit. But this is not a “tired” wine! Each sip contains superb energy and lift, hiding its 32 years of age shockingly well. In fact, I gave this to several Master Sommeliers in training and while they immediately nailed its Chinon identity, all of their vintage calls were between the late ’90s and early 2000s. That’s the beauty of Couly-Dutheil’s perfectly cellared reds. This is a momentous red of extraordinary typicity and authenticity. I implore you not to miss out!