We appreciate the wines of the Loire for their elegance and their digestible character – even when they are syrupy, that is to say! – and for their classicism. From the Atlantic coast to the Centre-Loire, each grape variety has its own area and each appellation has its own style, which some winegrowers interpret with more brilliance than others, without ever deviating too much from the score. Tradition and specifications oblige.
Other Loire winegrowers have instead chosen the path of freedom, leaving behind the straitjacket of the AOPs. Their new playground has no rules, except those of the market. If it’s good, if people like it, it will sell, regardless of the blend and the method of production. To enhance your weekend, two thirst-quenching reds signed by free thinkers. Health!
Sebastien David, Hurluberlu 2020
- French wine
- $23.20
- SAQ code 14172719
- 13%
- 1.7g/L
- Biodynamics
Sébastien David’s family has been rooted in the terroir of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil (a neighboring appellation of Bourgueil, in Touraine) since the 17th century. Today, all the estate’s wines are labeled “Vin de France”. The 15 hectares of its vineyard are completely grassed and certified biodynamic. In the winery, vinification carried out without inputs and with the least amount of handling possible, gives singular wines. Its Hurluberlu cuvée, made from a blend of Cabernet Franc and grapes purchased in the south of France between the 2016 and 2018 vintages, is now 100% Cab Franc, but it retains its originality. Hurluberlu 2020 comes from vines between 60 and 80 years old, whose grapes are vinified by carbonic maceration, without the addition of SO2. The wine is then bottled without clarification and filtration. The wine displays the delicate vegetal notes associated with the grape variety, but above all, it is full of fruit and takes shape in the mouth with the suppleness of a Beaujolais. A wine of pleasure that can be served with charcuterie, as well as with a spicy vegetarian curry.
The Heads, Head Red
- French wine
- $20.00
- SAQ code 14405033
- 13.5%
- 1.6g/L
- Organic
Nicolas Grosbois signs (relatively) classic wines at the family estate in Chinon, commented on in the Loire section. With the Les Tètes range, in partnership with three friends, he has fun and sells wines that go beyond the framework, hence their name Vin de France, which leaves room for more creativity. The quartet, which has already made a name for itself here with its natural sparkling wine and its still white wine, is starting the year off strong by introducing its Tète Red, in my opinion the most complete of the range tasted so far. A blend of Cabernet Franc (50%), Duras, Grolleau and Merlot, the wine offers a nice balance between chewiness and roundness, between ripe fruit, spices and black olives, all underlined by a fresh acidity that whets the appetite. . At $20, you can’t go wrong.