Let’s hear it for Cabernet Franc
One of France’s most under-rated wine areas is the Loire; one of the most under-rated of all grapes – particularly for summer drinking – is Cabernet Franc. I love its cool, raspberry-accented, red fruit character and its leafy, even tobacco notes on the finish.
The other night I drank the Domaine de la Croix de Chaintres Saumur-Champigny made by Fredrik Filliatreau and his sister Christina on a ‘biologically oriented’ 18 hectare Loire estate very close to the river and just south of Saumur.
Fred Filliatreau
We drank most of it slightly chilled with a lamb and apricot tagine from a Claudia Roden recipe cooked by my Edinburgh friends Jim and Helen, but there was just enough left to go with the raspberries and blackcurrants from their garden.
On offer from Waitrose until 13 August at £9.49 (down from £11.99 I think). Very good value for a very drinkable yet entirely serious red wine. Lots of good critics have endorsed this wine so you won’t be trusting my judgement alone.
And if you want Filliatreau’s top wines go to Yapp‘s of Mere – a wonderful merchant down Somerset way.
Wine As Was 