2013 Domaines Minchin, La Claux Delorme, Touraine Rouge “Franc du Cot-Lie” Loire Valley, France.
This deeply colored and richly intense red from Domaines Minchin’s La Claux Delorme is a stunner, it was crafted using hand picked and rigorously sorted Cabernet Franc and Cot (Malbec) from vineyards within then Touraine area of the Loire Valley. The Franc du Cot-Lie is fermented, after careful de-stemming, in cone shaped vats and aged in barrique, spending at least a year in the oak, which is no surprise as this is a powerful and structured red with tannin to tame. 70% Malbec gives this wine a dense character and blueberry/black currant core along with violets, bitter coco, minty herb, anise and plum, but you can sense the Franc as well with classic mineral, earth, cherry/kirsch and faint bell pepper taking it’s place in the background. This is serious stuff for the money and vintage, very impressive and seductive juice with layered black fruits, spice, earth and mineral with lingering cinnamon, mocha and mulberry. At 12.5% alcohol you’d think medium weight or lighter in style is on offer here, but you’d be wrong, this is full bodied stuff with a big kick and density, you’ll want to have food and more robust cuisine at that to match it up, duck, rabbit, boar all come to mind, though grilled steak and or lamb would do nicely here. This was a special treat from Domaines Minchin, this is a rare and limited offering worthy of the hunt, and Minchin’s La Claux Delorme Blanc and Rouge 2015’s from Valencay are both lovely too, drink the Franc du Cot-Lie Touraine Rouge between 2016 and 2021.
($18 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive
