Domaine de la Butte [Jacky Blot] Bourgueil “Le Haut de la Butte” 2021 750ml

Description

Enticing smoky notes waft from the glass, leading to a richly textured palate. It is quite tight and closed at the moment, but the finish is infinitely long and you can sense the potential from its well-balanced fruit, tannins and acidity. Naturally this needs more time in bottle, and has the potential for a higher score. Jacky and Joëlle Blot bought the 16-hectare Domaine de la Butte in 2002 and since then have been making a marvellous range of Bourgueils. The vines are planted on steep, south-facing slopes on clay-limestone soils and are classified in a Burgundian style; with Mi-Pente being the grand cru in the middle of the slope and best exposed. This cuvée, Le Haut de la Butte, is from the premier cru area just above Mi-Pente, where the slope is more gentle and more exposed to the wind, although the wood at the top of the slope provides shelter from north winds. The hand picked grapes are sorted twice in the vineyard before being dropped through a hole directly into the winery below. The wine is fermented and matured in wood.

• Country: France
• Region: Loire Valley
• Size: 750ml
• Color: Red

Varietal

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc is not simply an important grape varietal for the fact that it is one of the most widely grown strains of vine in the world, but also because it is a vital grape in the production of many of the finest wines the world has ever seen. For centuries in its native France, it has been a varietal synonymous with elegance and high quality, and has become a key fruit in the production of the Bordeaux and Bordeaux-style blended wines which have gone down in history thanks to their magnificent flavors, aromas and levels of aged complexity. However, Cabernet Franc is also a wine grape varietal for use in single variety, unblended wines, and has plenty to offer on its own. Most commonly, it is renowned for its wide bouquet, which often includes fascinating notes of tobacco, violets or bell pepper over a beautifully pale and decadent liquid.