2021 Les Quatre Piliers Grande Cuvée Cabernet Franc Au Dessus de Vitré, Loire Valley

Home to the Domaine’s oldest Cabernet Franc, the 70-year-old vines in Au dessus de Vitré root down through a blanket of red clay and limestone before tapping into the Turonian limestone bedrock below. It’s a terroir that infuses a deeper register of floral and mineral flavour than the Première Cuvée listed above. There’s a change in winemaking, too. Maceration lasted considerably longer at 22 days, with the juice slowly infusing flavour and gentle tannin from the grape’s skins. Then, the pressing was soft and slow (for the pressing geeks, Valentin uses just one bar of pressure), and the free-run juice aged separately from the press wine. Aging occurred in two- to three-year-old 228-litre barrels from Château Mangot for 18 months, and the wine (which may include some press wine depending on the year) was bottled without fining or filtration. The name Grand Cuvée says it all. It’s a super-pure and refined Loire red with lovely, cool, pulpy fruit, suave texture and a surprising salty twist on the finish. A Charles Lachaux or Théo Dancer kind of Cabernet Franc. To appreciate its full range of flavour and texture, Valentin recommends decanting this wine for an hour before serving.    

Les Quatre Piliers Grande Cuvée Cabernet Franc Au Dessus de Vitré from the Loire Valley is a beautifully perfumed and elegantly structured expression of the region’s most beloved red grape. The fruit comes from hillside vineyards perched above Vitré, where limestone rich soils and cool breezes from the Loire help Cabernet Franc develop lifted aromatics, silky tannins and a fine mineral core. Hand picking, gentle extraction and maturation in a thoughtful mix of stainless steel and neutral oak allow the purity of fruit and terroir to shine without heaviness. This is Loire Cabernet Franc at its most graceful and quietly complex.

The bouquet offers violets and rose petals over fresh red cherry, raspberry and wild strawberry. Beneath the brightness lies the varietal signature of graphite, pencil lead and a subtle leafy note that feels more floral than green. As the wine opens, savoury hints of cocoa dust, smoked tea and a touch of black pepper unfold with understated confidence.

The palate glides with supple texture and balance. Juicy red berries and cherry skin flow with fine tannins that feel chalky and elegant rather than firm. Subtle spice, crushed rock and a cool herbal whisper contribute depth, while vibrant acidity stretches the wine into a long, mouthwatering finish that lingers with fruit, florals and mineral finesse. It is drinking beautifully now but will gain earthy complexity over the next five to seven years.

A perfect partner for roast duck, charcuterie, grilled pork loin, mushroom pasta, goat cheese, ratatouille or a relaxed dinner with friends. It is a wine that celebrates Loire Valley charm: aromatic, refined and easy to fall in love with.