2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”La Marca di San Michele
Italy | Le Marche
$27
Producers
I love to see the look on my Burgundian husband’s face when he’s confounded by a wine discovery. Recently, we made a spicy barbecued chicken tikka and I proposed this rosé without mentioning its Loire origins, thus avoiding any associations he may have had after a bad experience with herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc.
Well, I tell you what. For a guy who says he’s not into Loire wine, he came up with a surprising number of positive descriptors. Fresh. Balanced. Crisp acidity and “ridiculously good with spicy food!” Little did he know that Cabernet Franc is historical for producing some of the world’s most elegant rosé.
—Emily Spillmann
Wine Type: | Rosé |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Bourgueil |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Domaine de la Chanteleuserie |
Vineyard: | 35 years average |
Soil: | Siliceous clay |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 14.4% |
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire | Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire | Bourgueil
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire | Bourgueil
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Vouvray
Pascal Janvier France | Loire | Jasnières
The defining feature of the Loire Valley, not surprisingly, is the Loire River. As the longest river in France, spanning more than 600 miles, this river connects seemingly disparate wine regions. Why else would Sancerre, with its Kimmeridgian limestone terroir be connected to Muscadet, an appellation that is 250 miles away?
Secondary in relevance to the historical, climatic, environmental, and cultural importance of the river are the wines and châteaux of the Jardin de la France. The kings and nobility of France built many hundreds of châteaux in the Loire but wine preceded the arrival of the noblesse and has since out-lived them as well.
Diversity abounds in the Loire. The aforementioned Kimmderidgian limestone of Sancerre is also found in Chablis. Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur boast the presence of tuffeau, a type of limestone unique to the Loire that has a yellowish tinge and a chalky texture. Savennières has schist, while Muscadet has volcanic, granite, and serpentinite based soils. In addition to geologic diversity, many, grape varieties are grown there too: Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne are most prevalent, but (to name a few) Pinot Gris, Grolleau, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Folle Blanche are also planted. These myriad of viticultural influences leads to the high quality production of every type of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert.
Like the Rhône and Provence, some of Kermit’s first imports came from the Loire, most notably the wines of Charles Joguet and Château d’Epiré—two producers who are featured in Kermit’s book Adventures on the Wine Route and with whom we still work today.
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Bourgeuil
Charles Joguet France | Loire | Chinon
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Vouvray
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire | Vin de France
Pascal Janvier France | Loire | Coteaux du Loir
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire | Bourgueil
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur-Champigny
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
Pascal Janvier France | Loire | Coteaux du Loir
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire | Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
You don’t have to be rich to cellar a great wine.
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