TN: Fourcas Dupré '05, Amirault Le Mine (Loire Cab Franc) '06

[Otto Nieminen]

I got to try two recent releases in our Monopoly tonight. I found both very enjoyable and I think I might buy a bit of both for mid-term drinking! (Just to explain the pricing: Alko is a monopoly, and a greedy one at that, so the prices generally tend to be about double what one pays elsewhere in Europe.)

• 2005 Château Fourcas Dupré - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Listrac-Médoc (5/14/2009)
  13% abv; 24,10€; c. half and half Cab Sauv and Merlot with a dash of Cab Franc and Petit Verdot; Cru Bourgeois Superieur. This was a lighter bodied style, though it did show some of the flesh I have come to expect from the year. It has an attractively open and forward scent of dark fruit, wet clay and a pleasant Cabernet lift. The occasional sniff seems to have a tiny hint of dung, too (which I love in these small amounts!). About a third of the wine sees new oak, and, indeed, the oak could use more time to calm down. The palate has good, ripe but refreshing tannins, low acidity - sadly - but it is still refreshing and, within its context with other '05s, a lighter style (which I am quite happy about). The ripe, juicy fruit coupled to the lighter body almost brought Loire Cabernet Franc to my mind except the flavour profile, of course, is a bit different. Curiously attractive already in a very primary way; I'm not certain this will go for decades but should improve in the medium term.
• 2006 Yannick Amirault Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil La Mine - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil (5/14/2009)
  13%; 24,60€ in the special order selection. It starts out very primary with a bit of sucrosity to the lovely Cab Franc perfume. With an hour or so of air, the savoury, leafy, tobacco aspects gladly overwhelm the sweetness and the result is fantastically drinkable and enjoyable. It is sweetly fruity, but has a lovely, juicy lightness about it that makes it extremely refreshing and moreish. Nice stuff!

Posted from CellarTracker

[Chasse-Spleen]

Cool notes and wines. Thanks.
-Chasse

[Houndsong]

Your Fourcas Dupre note is very consistent with my experience with that wine.

[Blanquito]

I haven't seen a tasting note (nor a bottle, come to think of it) of a Fourcas Dupre in years. Sounds like it did well in 2005.

I confess a sentimental attachment to wines like this cru bourgeios (and others like Tour Haut-Caussan, Fourcas Loubaney, Gressier Grand Poujeaux, Le Boscq, Fourcas Hosten, Patache d'Aux, d'Agassac, and so on). I cut my teeth on them as an undergrad, and now the seem to have been left behind not only by my palate, but by the wine world as well.

[Houndsong]

The 2000 Fourcas was excellent. The 2005 does come across as light for the vintage, as Otto notes.

[rjsussex]

Thanks.

Dupre 06 is worth a look though I've had very varied bottles of it - best was stylish, crisp, well-fruited in a rather dry style (very Listrac) but others were pinched and mean. Odd.

I too love Loire Cab Franc and can strongly recommend 05 Guiberteau Saumur - a real mouthful of deep, clean, peppery fruit and a long finish. 13.5% was a bit of a surprise for Cab Franc but it is 05 and it's well-balanced. Will keep for years. £12 in UK looks high but worth it.

Richard

[Otto Nieminen]

I haven't seen a tasting note (nor a bottle, come to think of it) of a Fourcas Dupre in years. Sounds like it did well in 2005.

I confess a sentimental attachment to wines like this cru bourgeios (and others like Tour Haut-Caussan, Fourcas Loubaney, Gressier Grand Poujeaux, Le Boscq, Fourcas Hosten, Patache d'Aux, d'Agassac, and so on). I cut my teeth on them as an undergrad, and now the seem to have been left behind not only by my palate, but by the wine world as well.

I haven't seen any other vintages of Fourcas Dupré so can't compare, but simply as Claret I really enjoyed the '05. Perhaps (shamefully still...) as an undergraduate myself, I still feel an attachment to the Crus Bourgeois: at an affordable price they are often honest and typical and enjoyable Claret. The '05 Gressier Grand Poujeaux remains one of the best recent Bordeaux I've had!