The Story
The Domaine de La Noblaie Chinon Goutte de Rose’ 2018 is a Rose’ of Cabernet Franc sourced from 2 Estate hillside vineyards in the Chinon district of the Loire Valley in west-central France. The vineyards have been certified organic since 2005 and Domaine de La Noblaie has been worked by the family for four generations. Chinon is known for Cabernet Franc for Red wine and Chenin Blanc for White wine. This Rose’ is imported by European Cellars, a large and well-respected importer. I found this small production Rose’ on-sale for $9.99 and while it probably is not available all over the US similar Estate Rose’ should be on the shelves of a store near you.
A Rose’ is a Red wine with little or no grape skin contact and since the tannins and other chemical components are contained in the skin, flavors that are masked by those elements can be exposed. Most Rose’ in this price range is unoaked, so there is little to get in the way of the actual grape juice flavors. Rose’, in a sense, is the flip side of Red wine. The grapes used for the Goutte de Rose’ are handpicked, they make several passes thru the vineyards to only choose the grapes that are at the ideal ripeness. Natural yeast is used for fermentation meaning that the yeast that floats in the air and sticks to the grape skins is the yeast that starts fermentation. This Rose’ is aged for four months in stainless steel tanks and the alcohol content is 13.5%.
The Tasting Notes
The color is pink with an orange tint. The nose is fresh, bright, and spicey, dried strawberry, melon, apple, candy spice, and a slight mineral edge. This is a dry Rose’, with a solid structure and interesting flavors. It starts with a mix of both sour and ripe red berries, a splash of pepper, a little bit of cream, and spice. The mid-palate offers a salty sensation, between the cream and the salt I would think this Rose’ was aged “on-lees” (dead yeast left in the tank with the wine and stirred from time to time), with a finish of soft, but tart cranberry. The acidity is almost lip-smacking (which I like), but not quite.
The Summary
- With everybody in the wine business making Rose’ nowadays, it is nice to sample a Rose’ from a French area that has long been known for Rose’. This is a Rose’ with texture and personality.
- Cab Franc is dark and intense as red wine and drinking its flipside is a revelation, it is bright, varied, still intense, but in a very different way. For 10 bucks the Domaine de La Noblaie Chinon Goutte de Rose’ 2018 is a delight.
