Placeholder Image

Cédric Garreau, “Garo’vin” Anjou Rouge

Loire Valley, France 2017 (750mL)
$35.00
/
Your cart is empty.
  • In stock, ready to ship
  • Inventory on the way
Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Cédric Garreau, “Garo’vin” Anjou Rouge

You’ll have to ask 1,000 people in the wine business before you stumble upon someone who knows Cédric Garreau, and when that time comes, I guarantee that person will raise an eyebrow and immediately consider you one of the in-crowd. Why? Because Cédric farms just five Certified Organic hectares, makes six wines, and bottles tiny amounts of each that are largely sold in his Loire Valley locale—more specifically, his regular backyard barbecue outings. 
We first learned about this one-man operation through his boutique importer, who stated that “Cédric is making some of the best wines in the Loire Valley” and went on to call him “a Cabernet prodigy.” In all honesty, micro-producers like Garreau have us torn: Yes, we want to sing their praises on a global loudspeaker, but that inevitably turns being “in-the-know” to “we-already-know.” My point is that these wines are about as pure, natural, and exciting as Loire valley reds get and it's best that you discover them before the inevitable surge of demand. About 13 barrels of “Garo’vin” Anjou Rouge were produced in 2017, and only a few dozen cases currently exist in America. The best part of all this? There’s no need for you to buy a plane ticket, rent a car, drive to Cédric’s home village, and enjoy a few bottles at his backyard cookout. All it takes is a few clicks to secure this rare piece of natural art. 
It’s hard to fathom that today’s wine represents Cédric Garreau seventh vintage when it holds the wisdom and purity of wines that take some producers a lifetime to create. And yet, he doesn't hail from a pedigreed, multi-generational winemaking family, nor did he inherit heirloom vines. Instead, Cédric went to enology school on his own accord and after acquiring two hectares of vines in 2010, he went right to work in the small town of Beaulieu-sur-Layon. Today, he has just about five hectares, all of which start at the foot of his home. And his cellar? A small stone building on the other side of his driveway. Because of his immediate proximity to everything, he can always oversee his Certified Organic vines and the progress of his minimal-intervention wines. 

His “Garo’vin” comes from a single, 1.5-hectare vineyard of Cabernet Franc called “Les Gasneries” planted in the years 1940 and 1983—the majority of fruit in today’s 2017 bottling is from the 80-year-old block. In his cold stone cellar, the grapes are entirely de-stemmed and a three-week maceration with routine punch downs by foot is carried out. After completing a native, airborne-yeast fermentation, the wine continues maturing in used French barrels for 12 months. It is bottled without fining and filtration, and dosed with minimal amounts of sulfur. As mentioned above, these wines have become a hot item in the Loire Valley and a substantial portion of transactions occur in Cédric’s own backyard during barbecues. 

Wine sculpted exactly like today’s all-natural Cabernet Franc not only re-energize me but also summon an exact sense of place. This is not über-green, “pyrazinic” Cabernet Franc. This is not big and burly Cabernet Franc. This is highly elegant, beautifully toned, breathtakingly aromatic Cabernet Franc that sings with the utmost purity and finesse. Nothing is covered up in this wine—it’s an unadulterated, one-with-nature mosaic of crunchy bramble fruits, currant, red plums, crushed rock, green tobacco leaf, freshly picked herbs, undergrowth, peppercorn, and a touch of exotic spices. Due to its natural qualities, we recommend decanting for at least 30 minutes before pouring into bulbous Burgundy stems. With ample air, the little CO2 prickle and reduction blows off cleanly and reveals a mouth-watering, soulful expression of this ancient grape. The palate focuses on purity and elegance that’s centered around a vivid core of bright forest fruit, savory earthy, and crushed-mineral components. It displays itself with such energetic grace and leaves you salivating long after you’ve swallowed your sip. Enjoy now and over the next several years!
Placeholder Image
Country
France
Region
Loire Valley
Sub-Region
FranceAnjou
Soil
Clay, Shale
Farming
Certified Organic
Blend
Cabernet Franc 100%
Alcohol
12.5
OAK
Used French Barrel
TEMP.
60
Glassware
Burgundy Stem
Drinking
Now-2023
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Roasted Game Hen w/ Polenta

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