{"product_id":"somm1911-ddb18bgpdb-750","title":"Domaine de la Butte (Jacky Blot), Bourgueil “La Pied de la Butte”","description":"\u003cp\u003eIf you’ve ever tried the ethereal Chinons of Olga Raffault, you know just how pretty, and “Burgundian,” Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley can be. Today we have further evidence of that fact, courtesy of another exceptional wine talent in the Loire: Jacky Blot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore acquiring his Domaine de la Butte in Bourgueil in 2002, Blot had already won widespread acclaim for Domaine Taille aux Loups, where he crafts achingly beautiful Chenin Blanc upriver in Montlouis. Today’s 2018 Bourgueil is an enchantingly pretty mix of brambly red fruits, high-toned floral aromas, and the perfect kiss of minerality, and it combines snappy refreshment and sneaky persistence in the manner of great Pinot Noirs (and Gamays!) from Burgundy. In fact, Blot’s “La Pied de la Butte” feels a little like a Bourgogne Rouge\/Cru Beaujolais crossing, with an extra dash of cedar and pepper lending new dimension. I’ve noted a few times recently that lighter, more modestly oaked reds have been winning the day in our tastings lately, and this one proudly waves that flag—yet, at the same time, I can see it aging beautifully. The Olga Raffault comparison is apt: A wine need not be massive to age well. The chord of freshness that rings through this wine provides mouth-watering refreshment now and will provide the backbone for further evolution. And be warned: Once you pull the cork on this, it’s gone in what seems like seconds!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eThe purity and energy that makes La Pied de la Butte so gulp-able owes to the certified organic farming practices Blot brought with him from Montlouis. Domaine de la Butte covers 14 contiguous hectares at the western end of the Bourgueil AOC, climbing up the slope, or butte, that rises from the banks of the Loire and then plateaus before giving way to forest. As with most of the vineyards in Bourgueil, which is on the north, or “right” bank of the Loire, Blot’s parcels face south, and, in ‘Burgundian’ fashion, he bottles his different \u003cem\u003ecuvées\u003c\/em\u003e based on the positioning of their source vineyards on the slope. At lower elevations, closer to the Loire River, soils are more “alluvial” gravel and sand, while upslope you find the porous yellow limestone, called \u003cem\u003etuffeau,\u003c\/em\u003e that is such a Loire Valley signature. Today’s wine, from the pied, or “foot,” of the Bourgueil butte, comes from 35+-year-old vines rooted in limestone pebbles, sand, and clay over tuffeau mother rock; it delivers a level of finesse and polish that may surprise those who view Bourgueil\/Chinon as rustic, bistro-style wine.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eCrafted from 100% Cabernet Franc that was completely de-stemmed, the 2018 La Pied de la Butte was fermented and aged in a mix of concrete tanks and used French oak barrels. It is youthful and buzzing with energy, but also quite complex at this stage in its life, with a well-balanced array of fruit and earth notes. It’s a wine that leads with freshness and bright red-berry fruit but lingers on the finish much longer than most wines in this weight\/price class. It displays a luminous ruby core moving to garnet at the rim and leaps from the glass with perfumed aromas of black cherry, red currant, cranberry, plum, violets, green tobacco leaf, licorice, peppercorns, and underbrush. The tannins are ripe and fine, framing the fruit nicely but more an accent note than a prominent feature; the freshness, meanwhile, gets the salivary response going and gets you craving food (and another sip). Decant this about 30 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees and pair it with the killer pork chop recipe attached. What a delicious, aromatic, pleasure-packed bottle of red wine. Don’t miss this!\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"SommSelect","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40830157914166,"sku":"SOMM1911-DDB18BGPDB-750","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/sommselect.com\/products\/somm1911-ddb18bgpdb-750","provider":"SommSelect","version":"1.0","type":"link"}