Placeholder Image

Domaine Fouet, Saumur Cabernet Franc, “Buvons des Fruits!”

Loire Valley, France 2018 (750mL)
$26.00
/
Your cart is empty.
  • In stock, ready to ship
  • Inventory on the way
Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Domaine Fouet, Saumur Cabernet Franc, “Buvons des Fruits!”

Boy, is today’s wine aptly named: After tasting it, and enjoying it immensely right out of the gate, I might indeed be compelled to exclaim “Buvons des Fruits!” (“We drink the fruits!”). This bright, juicy, high-energy red deserves its joyful exclamation point—more and more often, I find myself drawn to refreshing, uncomplicated reds like this, and I don’t think I’m alone, if the speed with which this bottle disappeared is any indication.
Bursting with the same violet-scented, mineral-infused dark-berry fruit found in great cru Beaujolais, this Loire Valley red from Saumur is Cabernet Franc showing off its softer, more charming side. It’s also a testament to what can be achieved in the much-discussed “natural wine” space: Conscientiously farmed and crafted, with minimal sulfur added only at bottling, this is an impeccably clean, expressive wine from the heart of a region very much in vogue among the wine cognoscenti—just to the south of Domaine Fouet is the famed hamlet of Brézé, while to the north, superstar Clos Rougeard is five minutes up the road. In addition to being completely charmed by this 2018, I’m excited about the future for Domaine Fouet: Organic certification is coming in 2020 and the estate’s 22 hectares of vineyards are perfectly positioned. I’ll be watching closely, and after one sip of today’s wine, you will, too!
Headquartered in the village of Saint Cyr-en-Bourg, in the Saumur-Champigny AOC, Julien Fouet is a committed organic farmer, eschewing not just chemicals in his vineyards but using sheep for weed control instead of mechanical equipment. He represents the sixth generation at this small, family-run property, whose old cellars burrow into the chalky, tuffeau limestone bedrock typical of the region. That soil character is readily evident in the unfiltered, steel-aged Buvons des Fruits! Bottling, which is all about clear Cabernet Franc varietal fruit without the excessive weedy, “green” notes that can plague some wines. Its ripeness and depth of fruit is underpinned by terrific freshness and palate-enlivening minerality.

In the glass, today’s 2018 has the nearly opaque, deep ruby-purple hue you often see in riper vintages of Cru Beaujolais as well. But don’t be fooled by that inkiness—the wine is in no way heavy but rather buoyant and refreshing, with aromas of dark woodland berries, black cherry, cranberry, violets, tobacco leaf, wet stones, and a hint of black pepper. Although it will continue to improve and integrate over the next 3-5 years, there’s an exuberance to it I’m happy to celebrate now: Pop a bottle of this over lunch, enjoy it with a burger or a salad, and rest assured you won’t be feeling like a nap afterward. That’s the appeal here: “Big” is not always better. We drink the fruits! Enjoy!
Placeholder Image
Country
France
Region
Loire Valley
Sub-Region
FranceSaumur
Soil
Sandy Clay over Limestone
Farming
Organic
Blend
Cabernet Franc
Alcohol
13.5
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2024
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Lentil Salad

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

Others We Love