A fresh, silky, eminently drinkable “bistro” styled Chinon that has a bit of extra depth and complexity thanks to the prodigious talents of winemaker Bertrand Sourdais.

The Chinon appellation sits just south of the Loire River, in the center of the larger valley, and along with Saumur and Bourgueil forms the Cabernet Franc triangle, producing the Loires most prestigious red wines. Soils here change from sand and sedimentary gravel in low elevations to limestone/clay marls on the slopes and plateaus.

Before his “return” to Chinon, and Cabernet Franc, in 2003, Bertrand Sourdais picked up valuable winemaking insight in some far-flung locales—especially Spain, where he made his name in Ribera del Duero at Dominio de Atauta. He also did stints with Spanish maestro Alvaro Palacios and at Château Mouton-Rothschild before turning his attention to old-vine Cabernet Franc from his family’s heirloom vineyards in Chinon.

“Messanges” is the word in an ancient Loire dialect for Cabernet Franc. This is Bertrand’s “everyday” red, sourced from a sandy, gravelly vineyard near the Vienne river. The fruit is de-stemmed and fermented slowly in cool, concrete tanks. It is then aged in a combination of concrete and neutral, 600 liter barrels for six months before bottling.

Another textbook example of a fresh, “bistro” styled Chinon. Serve it with a slight chill in Burgundy stems after a splash decant and the combination of red and black cherries with notes of green peppercorn, graphite, dried roses, mint, and smoked meat will rush up to greet you. Thanks to Bertrand’s skill, everything is in perfect balance and the finish is surprisingly complex and long.