2010 Yannick Amirault Bourgueil La Petit Cave, Loire Valley

This wine is produced from old vines averaging more than 45 years old which are located around the middle of the slope on the best soils. The wine is matured in 450 litre demi-muid barrels and is the richest and deepest wine in his cellar. In great years like 1997 and 2003 the wine is a thick almost impenetrable black colour with amazing concentration and depth of mulberry and black raspberry fruit with anise and spice notes that linger for ages. This is a wine that shows very well at a relatively young age in ripe years like 2006, and which will also age effortlessly for decades. This wine has remarkable depth of fruit supported by substantial fine tannins with just enough acidity to keep the wine fresh and appetizing without becoming too heavy. From the outstanding 2009 vintage, this is a remarkably fresh and pure wine of substantial depth and structure. This is Bourgueil, and Cabernet Franc, at its finest.

'This cuvée was not produced in 2008. Argilo-calcaire soils, the élevage an anticipated 18 months in 400-litre tonneaux. A good depth to the fruit character here, rather dense, darkly-spiced fruit, a touch savoury but still very fresh and lifted despite the suggestion of weight. A good substance, with fresh violets and red fruits moving into darker fruits in the middle, with a supple texture and also a lot of midpalate structure to it. Big, grippy, ripe and bold tannins around the edges, with ripe fruits, damsons, plum skins and notes of spice. In the finish it displays a big wall of tannins; this is obviously a serious, structured and cellar-worthy wine.'