Chinon - One of the Value Wines People in the Business Love Stunningly Well Made, From an Unheralded Commune (Read - Value)

I love Loire cabernet franc - it's one of the wines that people in the business drink largely because its consistently good, interesting and can be affordable, if you know where to look. I believe this is the first everyday priced Chinon that I have offered at Fass Selections. The Raffault Singuaire is a wine meant for aging.

The 2014 Angelique Leon Chinon for as little as $22.99 on a bottle per 4-pack is a wonderful little discovery that I am very excited to share with you. It is a super pure, low sulfur, naturally made wine with tremendous vivid red fruits, cherries and cassis. Delicious ripe tannins and a real serious structure that tells me this will greatly benefit from 1-2 years in the cellar. It's something I don't have enough of around, which is affordable and killer Cabernet Franc as it is so food friendly, and always punches above its weight class. I've only offered higher end Chinon so this is a nice reprieve.

Finding quality Cabernet Franc at an everyday price can be a challenge. One has to look in places one normally might not look. Today's Chinon comes from the commune of Savigny-En-Veron where there is more polyculture than strict 100% viticulture. One forgets that over 100 years ago finding just vineyards without other crops was rare. It was cereals, corn, a few rows of vines and the such. That is what goes in Savigny-En-Veron, which is to say a flourishing polyculture. Angelique Leon on some days has to turn away people for her famous white asparagus which she is even more famous for than her delicious Chinons. Of the 200 wineries in Chinon, only 25 are in this most eastern most area, and only 5 are run by women. Angelique sells 60% of her production at the cellar door or in bulk, so

It is a treat and an honor to offer her for the first time in the United States. Angelique Leon has exceptional terroir (35 year old vines) and her average yield of 45hl/ha produces wines with very nice concentration. She is a salt of the earth type of woman who went back to take over her father's and grandfather's farm and if I was allowed to sell vegetables I would be selling her remarkable white asparagus as it is enchanting. But Angelique gives the 2014 Chinon that same love. It's fermented with natural yeasts and raised in vat and sees no wood.

The domaine received 2 of 5 stars from Bettane & Desseuve (the same ranking as Bernard Baudry, Couly Dutheil and Olga Raffault).The quality is right up there and I urge you to try it and offers terrific value.

2014 Angelique Leon Chinon Rouge - $24.99 ($91.96 4-pack) (LIMITED)