It’s always a bold move comparing wines to the greats, but sometimes it’s the best way to describe a gorgeous, class-defining red that doesn’t yet have a worldwide cult following or monstrous price tag. Ask any French wine specialist or shrewd sommelier and they will point to Domaine du Bel Air as one of the world’s top Cabernet Franc producers, right up there with the likes of Clos Rougeard.
Bourgueil, located just across the river from Chinon, may raise some eyebrows in this price range, but those who know the Gauthier family’s vinous handiwork will immediately recognize this as a can’t-miss deal: “Grand Mont” is the premier bottle at Domaine du Bel Air, unanimously considered to be the very top producer of their appellation. Sourced from organically farmed, 70+-year-old vines and crafted with the utmost tradition before two judicious years of aging in Bel Air’s underground limestone cellars, “Grand Mont” could easily be mistaken in a blind tasting for classically styled, high-priced benchmarks from Bordeaux or the Loire Valley. I wouldn’t think of this as stepping outside your comfort zone; instead, treat it like the enchanting wine that it is—an incredibly deep, savory, and elegant Cabernet Franc that performs way above its price point and traditional expectations for this appellation. We count ourselves lucky for the limited stock we received—only four bottles per person today!
The Gauthiers have been crafting wine in the town of Benais for five generations, but the large majority of it has happened behind closed doors: They were consuming their own wine and privately doling out small allocations to friends, family, and local spots up until 1970, when they finally allowed an importer to represent them. The late, great Didier Dagueneau also had his hand in catapulting them to fame, directing inquiring clients to their idyllic estate. Quite the sponsorship! The man in charge of this daunting private-to-commercial transition was Pierre Gauthier and today he and his son, Rodolphe, are jointly in charge of operations. While they were expanding, Pierre also made the decision to start farming as naturally as possible and by the year 2000, they were Certified Organic.
Sadly, I have not personally visited the estate, but their importer provided us with a couple amusing anecdotes for when she met Pierre and Rodolphe Gauthier: “Just like Domaine du Bel Air’s gnarled vines, Pierre Gauthier’s hands also seems to have aged in dirt. This is a man who has seemingly lived in the vineyards since birth...Entering their intimate cellar is like stumbling upon a hidden cave. You’d unknowingly walk right past the entrance if you didn’t have Pierre or Randolph Gaultier as your guide. It’s a magical place.”
“Grand Mont” is aptly sourced from the family’s plots atop an elevated plateau. These vines are pushing past 70 years of age and are dug deep into tufa (or tuffeau), a porous limestone considered to be one of Loire’s signature soils. These vines have been farmed organically for the past 18 years and exhausting steps are taken throughout the growing year to ensure a healthy crop before hand selecting the ripest, most pristine fruit. In the Gauthier's winery, only a few minutes’ drive from the “Grand Mont” vineyard, the grapes are de-stemmed and sorted once more before fermenting on natural yeasts. After a lengthy 3-4 week cuvaison, the wine is sent into mostly neutral (second and third use) demi-muids and barriques for 24 months.
The 2012 “Grand Mont” only shows a touch of maturity in the glass, with a dark garnet red core that meets slight oranging on the rim. The nose is fantastically seductive—increasingly so after additional time in the decanter—with red and black currants, cooked herbs, blueberry, wild mushrooms, dried cherry, tobacco leaf, cacao, rose petals, vintage leather, damp clay, crushed gravel, and underlying hints of spice. Seamless and incredibly soft on the palate, “Grand Mont” shows the polish and elegance akin to Clos Rougeard with a finish accented by beautifully layered fruits. If you’re looking for its absolute peak, I would wait until 2020—with its traditional style and years of impeccable cellar aging, you can expect this 2012 “Grand Mont” to last well past 2030 if stored properly. However, there should be nothing holding you back from popping a bottle now and decanting for a few hours before service. The more you let this linger in your glass, the more it will astonish you, and, again, I must mention that it has the panache and grace typically reserved for the most elegant and elite French reds. Serve in Bordeaux stems around 60-65 degrees and treat yourself with the attached côte de boeuf dish. Cheers!
