Château de Coulaine Chinon ( Caberent Franc ) VIntage & Vine

This 2021 vintage Chinon from Château de Coulaine offers a unique opportunity to enjoy the fresh, supple red fruit flavours of Caberent Franc. Mostly from younger vines and aged in a combination of large oak and cement tanks, it brings out an extravagant raspberry perfume and thirst-quenching freshness, with depth of colour and freshness perfectly balanced. Enjoy this easy-drinking “vin de soif” for its juicy, creamy red fruit flavours.

Mostly from younger caberent franc vines up to about 20 yo coming from slopes and on the plateau close to the chateau. This wine is vinified in large old cement tanks using indigenous yeast and aged in a combination of large old oak and cement tanks. Excellent depth of colour and notably deeper and richer in 2018 while still retaining freshness and balance. A real ‘vin de soif’ giving the extravagant raspberry perfume and thirst quenching freshness that Chinon is so well known for. Very fresh, very moreish.

Château de Coulaine is a family-owned estate rich in viticultural tradition which has been operating continuously since 1300!  In the 19th century the estate came to be one of the most notable in Chinon before phylloxera reduced the holdings to just over 1 hectare of Clos de Turpenay. Since 1988, Etienne de Bonnaventure took over the farming of that 1 hectare assuming all viticulture and winemaking responsibilities and has grown the estate to its current 18 hectares, all situated on Chinon’s plateaux. Planted mostly to Cabernet Franc (with a little Chenin blanc making both Chinon blanc and Touraine blanc) particular care is taken to re-plant using selection massale as they have done for generations. The  vineyards are organically farmed since 1997, being the first in the appellation to be certified organic, all grapes are hand-harvested and vinification follows a non-interventionalist path.  Coulaine’s low yields result in deeply concentrated, savoury and succulent expressions of Cabernet Franc with ripe and polished tannins – a harmonious balance between the traditional and modern worlds. We adore Cabernet Franc and it is easy to see that Etienne has made every effort in the vineyard and the cellars to ensure that these are simply some of the purest and most deliciously approachable examples you will ever come across!