Placeholder Image

Château du Petit Thouars, Chinon “L’Epée”

Loire Valley, France 2017 (750mL)
$28.00
/
Your cart is empty.
  • In stock, ready to ship
  • Inventory on the way
Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Château du Petit Thouars, Chinon “L’Epée”

Believe it or not, we still geek out over every offer on SommSelect, but there are inevitably varying levels of excitement: Some greatly pique our interest, a select few leave us stunned speechless, and on rare occasions, one will tightly grip and rattle our very core for days on end. That’s what today’s epic French bottling did to our entire team. When it comes to vividly encapsulating one of the world’s most historically important grapes and regions, Petit Thouars’ Chinon is a godsend, privilege, and paragon all in one. In simpler speak, certain combinations of vintage/producer/price are just extra-special, and this wine delivers more authenticity, complexity, and pure joy at $28 than any serious wine lover has a right to expect.


I’d like to expand on that “authenticity”: Today’s region-defining estate is home to a history so rich, it could fill out the entire Smithsonian: Surrounded by vines and a crumbling stone wall is a dominating 500-year-old limestone castle, where no less than twelve generations of the Petit Thouars clan have thrived and produced classically elegant, complex, highly aromatic Cabernet Franc. And, for reasons unbeknownst to me, their prices have remained remarkably approachable despite what many Loire contemporaries are now charging for their (often-inferior) wines. It’s amazing: Everything one could possibly ask for in a traditional French red—perfume, minerality, ripe fruit, balance, energy—is here. Find some room for a case if you can because this bulletproof investment will keep getting better and better.


I constantly find myself recommending Cabernet Franc to people looking for an alternative to top Cru Beaujolais, Red Burgundy, Northern Rhône or any wine that sublimely balances brilliant fruit with elegant, mineral structure. And nowhere does Cabernet Franc shine as a solo act quite like historic Chinon in the Loire Valley, especially when the vines are old and the wine-producing estate is steeped in centuries of tradition. Constructed as a hunting lodge in the early 16th century and home to the Petit Thouars family since 1636, this breathtaking château is among the Loire Valley's most premier, historic properties. Today, it is home to 12th-generation Sebastién du Petit Thouars, along with his wife and two children, who oversee this sprawling estate with great aplomb. 



For today’s “L’Epée,” they look to a couple of prized vineyards, “Les Plantes” and “Le Clos,” and farm their 40+-year-old Cabernet Franc with sustainable practices. In their limestone cellar/cave, which was the main source of building material for their ancient château, the grapes are 100% de-stemmed. Impressively, over two-thirds of the cuvée comes from precious free-run juice, i.e. the weight of the grapes above act as a natural press. The juice then ferments naturally—no added yeasts—in a combination of stainless steel and old French barrels. After six months, the wine is racked of its fine lees and placed back into these vessels for an additional 12 months. It is finally bottled nearly two years (!) after the initial harvest without any fining.



Petit Thouars’ 2017 “L’Epée” flaunts a vibrant ruby and deep purple in the glass and exhibits heaps of black raspberry, black plum, mulberry, redcurrant, and licorice that perfectly coexist with the “terroir-driven” side of Cabernet Franc: damp violet, crushed graphite, dried underbrush, wild herbs, bell pepper, lead, and star anise. The wine shows no perceptible oak influence: it’s all about pure, fragrant fruit, mineral savor, enlivening acidity, and structured, fine-grained tannins. In other words: this is an absolutely perfect representation of Loire Cabernet Franc! It is superbly balanced and considerably energetic with a longer, more complex finish than your typical bistro Chinon. And, while it is supremely drinkable after about 30 minutes in a decanter, I can see this aging five more years with ease if kept well. For an immediate return on your investment, crack a bottle soon and serve it at 60 degrees in large Burgundy stems. The immense pleasure and Cab Franc typicity it provides is off the charts. Cheers!


Placeholder Image
Country
France
Region
Loire Valley
Sub-Region
FranceChinon
Soil
Limestone & Clay
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Cabernet Franc
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
Neutral French Barrels
TEMP.
60
Glassware
Large Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2025+
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Ratatouille

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