Y.AMIRAULT AMIRAULT BOURGUEIL COTE 50 2022

Style: Spicy & Bright

The wines made by Yannick and Benoît Amirault could wipe the floor with the majority of similar wines made on the banks of the Vienne. If I ever need to remind myself why I should not overlook the wines of Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil, this is the domaine to come to. Yannick and Benoît make a marvellous array of wines, vibrant and perfumed yet dark and confident at the lower levels, the wines from the more sandy soils, while those from the limestone terroirs sitting high up above the alluvial terraces are capable of much greater things, given ten or fifteen years in the cellar. These are not just wines to challenge those made in Chinon. Nor are these wines about which we should enthuse solely in the context of Bourgueil and St Nicolas de Bourgueil. This domaine, I believe, turns out some of the very best red wines in the entire Loire Valley. Overlook them to your disadvantage.

Not so much a new cuvée from Yannick Amirault, rather expanding on what was La Coudraye, by including fruit from three extra lieu dits of Les Sables, Les Pins and Les Perrières. The common link is that all these lieu dits sit at 50m elevation above the Loire, hence the name. The fruit is all hand picked into small baskets, double sorted and then destemmed but not crushed and fermented in small open vats. Gentle maceration over 3 to 4 weeks, followed by maturation in old oak foudres and sandstone amphorae for 7 to 12 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. VINTAGE & VINE IMPORTER

The old La Coudraye, which changed to La Côte back in the 2018 vintage to reflect the variety of origins for the fruit. This is a sample drawn before bottling. A vibrant hue in the glass, and a beautifully pure and eager nose of black cherry, blackcurrant and damson fruits. The palate remains true to the nose, with that same sense of purity and an underbelly of soft chalk, before a sappy cherry-skin character at the end. Modestly extracted tannins, firm but not over done, with nice acidity for this warmer vintage, this should evolve nicely for some years, but should be ready to go within a year or two..¿89-91 points CHRIS KISSACK, THE WINE DOCTOR 2023¿

Region: Loire Valley, FRANCE

Variety: Cabernet Franc

ABV: 13%

Liquor Act 2007. It is against the law to sell or supply alcohol to, or to obtain alcohol on behalf of a person under the age of 18 years. Lic No. LIQP770016424

*We endeavour to ensure the correct vintage is displayed, however some variations may occur in store and for delivered bottles.