Domaine de la Petite Mairie Bourgueil Cuvée des Galluches

Good solid Loire Cab Franc, good acidity, robust fruit, and just enough green to be typical and add interest. Drink or hold.

Nose: This is very lovely on the nose with soft, but expressive tones of red fruits, roses, red cherries, herbs, and some bell pepper as well. Taste: Medium bodied with nice chewy tannins and medium/high acidity. There is nice balance to the palate, but the youth is there with tones of red fruits, roses, red cherries, and some bell pepper tones on the back end. Overall: This received about 3 1/2 hours of air before fully digging in. It definitely …

The wine opened with wood, dark spice and cherry with green pepper and a touch of jam as it opened up. For a Cab Franc there was a distinct lack of earthiness. The tannins were a bit high which left the wine with too much acidity as it finished.

Medium-dark cherry red. On the nose, lots of dusty oak, red bell pepper, and cassis syrup. Rich and chewy palate, with raspberry, licorice and more bell pepper. Medium-long finish with woody tannins building late. Generally a very pure cabernet franc profile, a little heavy on the capsicum. Very nicely balanced, this is fine for current drinking but may age well for several years.

Friday Afternoon at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage) : I'm a big fan of this vintage in the Loire and this bottle is another example of why. The expressive, juicy, fruit profile of the vintage shines through, but is grounded with nice mushroom and herb notes. Love the combination, love the vintage.