The Story
The Domaine Angelliaume Chinon 2018 is a $12.99 Costco wine. The winery is Domaine Angelliaume and the name of the wine is Domaine des Falaises which translates to English as Field or Place of the Cliffs which is the name of the estate vineyard that the Cabernet Franc grapes were farmed. The vineyards near the town of Chinon are situated on steep hills leading down to a river that runs through the Loire Valley in France.
I mention the name of the winery and the wine name since when I researched this Chinon, most of what is available on the web had the name backward. Since the wine brand name had Domaine in the title most of the writer assumed that had to be the winery. This is a problem for French wines in the United States.
In France wine is known by Estate name and location, as in Chinon means that the Red wine is going to be Cabernet Franc or the Right Bank in Bordeaux are going to be Merlot dominated blends near this village and maybe not so much for wine grown near that village. In France, the wine drinkers know this, it is part of their heritage. In the US folks who write about wine and should have a clue can not figure out which is the winery and which is the brand name.
Chinon is a town in the Loire Valley that is famous for producing Cabernet Franc single varietal wines, though blending some Cabernet Sauvignon is approved by AOC rules. Chinon and the Loire Valley are located in west-central France, north of Bordeaux and west and south of Champagne. It is a picturesque and historically rich section of France and be on the look-out for the excellent Sauvignon Blanc from the region.
The Domaine des Falasises is Domaine Angelliaume “young” Chinon, it is sourced for a vineyard with 40-year old vines and is fermented and aged in cement vats and it is micro oxygenated. Too much oxygen is bad for wine, but this technique adds a controlled dose of air to the wine. It softens the tannins and stabilizes the noes and color and allows the wine to come together quickly. It is a useful technique for drink-it-now wine.
Concrete vats are common in France (also Spain) as fermentation and aging vessels. The advantages are that they last a long time and can be used over and over (they are lines to prevent the concrete from leeching into the wine). They are thick enough that the wine inside the vat is kept at a temperature and humidity that is not influenced by the outside air. Wine loves a stable climate and environment and cement vats offer a degree of insolation that steel tanks and wood barrels can not. The alcohol content is 12.5%.
Domaine Angelliaume Chinon 2018 Tasting Notes
The color is a dark, bit still see-thru raspberry jelly red. The nose is bright, juicy, and spicey, there is jammy strawberry, exotic spice, soft herbs, black cherry, cinnamon, and orange zest. This is a flavorful Cabernet Franc that is surprisingly ripe and smooth. It starts with blackberry and licorice, a little sizzle from the spice (just a little), followed by sweet blueberry. The mid-palate adds tart cranberry, a light herbal edge, and ripe plum. The tannins are in the flavor mix, but are sweet and do not bite. The acidity brightens up the overall profile of the wine. The finish is sleek and lengthy.
The Summary
- The Domaine Angelliaume Chinon 2018 is a tasty wine, it isn’t too heavy, it is not too anything, it is simply a solid well-made Cabernet Franc.
- If you are intrigued by the Loire Valley and its wines, the twelve ninety-nine Costco Chinon is a pretty decent place to start.
- This is a young wine, the winery website says drink within 1 to 5 years, but really why wait 5 years.
- This is a drink-it-now Chinon, most of the Chinon you find on wineshop shelves are probably going to be the more expensive offerings with more complex winemaking procedures to justify the higher price.
- Start with the younger more affordable wines and work your way up. You never know, the young affordable wines may well be your favorites.
