- Producer
- Clau de Nell
- Grape variety
- Cabernet Franc
- Region
- Loire
- Country
- France
- Vintage
- 2019
- Alcohol
- 13 % vol
- Volume
- 0.75 l
- Item no.
- 9950408024
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Cabernet Franc AOC 2019
Single-varietal Cabernet Franc from 45- to 55-year-old vines in Ambillou-Château in the Anjou, grown biodynamically and made without heavy tannin extraction.
CHF 31.50
Prices in CHF, including customs duty and all import charges, plus shipping CHF 15 (free from 12 bottles or CHF 300) — no further charges on delivery.
Available for Switzerland
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About this wine
Character
A cool, juicy red wine that combines dark fruit with wild spice and meaty notes. On the nose, mulberry, cassis, violet and liquorice vie for the lead, surrounded by plum, blackberry, blueberry and damson. Cinnamon, clove and aniseed join in from the spice rack, while lovage, rosemary and thyme add the closing herbal note. The fruit is densely woven yet never heavy.
Terroir and origin
Clau de Nell lies in Ambillou-Château in the Anjou, 90 metres above sea level and 120 kilometres from the Atlantic, with cool nights and warm days. The vines root in loamy-silty soil over sandstone, as well as in red flint over tuffeau, the region's characteristic limestone.
Grape variety and vinification
Pure Cabernet Franc from vines aged 45 to 55 years, with a yield of 40 hl/ha. Hand-harvested into 12-kilo crates, destemmed, then fermented for 30 days with only occasional pump-overs. Twelve months' ageing on fine lees in Burgundian pièces aged five to seven years, followed by six months in a large oak cask. 13.0% vol., dry.
On the palate
Tannin plays no role in this vintage. What remains is dense dark fruit, wrapped almost in silk, cool and elegant. Gripping acidity keeps the structure taut, the floral notes return, and red pepper, both raw and cooked, defines the finish.
Food pairings
Braised pork cheek with spiced jus and savoy cabbage, short rib with hoisin sauce and seared pak choi, or, vegetarian, salt-baked beetroot with basil pesto.
Notable details
The estate has farmed biodynamically since 2000 and carries the Demeter logo on its label. In 2008, Anne-Claude Leflaive and Christian Jacques took over the estate, named after Claude and Nelly Pichard; since Anne-Claude Leflaive's death in 2015, Christian Jacques and winemaker Sylvain Potin have carried the work forward.
