What’s the most undervalued red wine region out there? A few years back Beaujolais would have been the obvious choice, but now I think Saumur-Champigny (and Loire Valley Cabernet Franc in general) has claimed that coveted top spot. Today’s old-vine stunner from Domaine Fouet is one example of why: To put it as plainly as I can, there is way more—way more—than $35 worth of wine in this bottle. Ever since the high-profile sale of Clos Rougeard, Saumur-Champigny’s most famous producer, I’ve been waiting for others’ prices to start rising across the board, but for the most part, it hasn’t happened yet—so yes, you should feast on “La Rouge et Noire.” From a blockbuster vintage with five years of age, conscientiously farmed and crafted, sourced from heirloom vines, and priced to move, this is an impeccable wine from the heart of a region very much in vogue among the wine cognoscenti. Jump on it!
Just to the south of Domaine Fouet is the famed hamlet of Brézé, while to the north, superstar Clos Rougeard is five minutes up the road. Headquartered in the village of Saint Cyr-en-Bourg, Julien Fouet is a committed organic farmer, not only eschewing chemicals in his 22 hectares of vineyards but using sheep for weed control instead of mechanical equipment. He represents the sixth generation at this small, family-run property, whose old cellars burrow into the chalky, tuffeau limestone typical of the region. Fouet’s vineyards were Certified Organic with the 2020 vintage, but that process had been initiated many years prior.
Today’s cuvée, “La Rouge et Noire” (an apt name for a wine brimming with red and black fruits), is sourced from vines exceeding 50 years of age. It was aged in used 500-liter casks and is showing beautifully at this stage of its life, with more positive evolution still ahead of it. In the glass, today’s 2019 has the deep ruby-black hue typical of young Cabernet Franc, but that inkiness belies a wine that is aromatic, spicy, buoyant and refreshing, with aromas of dark woodland berries, black cherry, cranberry, violets, tobacco leaf, wet stones, and a hint of black pepper. Although it will continue to improve and integrate over the next 3-5 years, there’s an exuberance to it I’m happy to celebrate now: Pop a bottle of this over dinner and marvel at how it gets better and better with time in the glass. This is special-occasion wine at an everyday price. Enjoy!
