90 Points – John Gilman, View From The Cellar (full review below)

“Pascal Biotteau’s vines fall right at the split between terroirs, as half lie on slate and the other half on a mix of clay and limestone. The blend of the two gives this Anjou Rouge a seriously complex base of soil tones. The wine is a blend of eighty percent cabernet franc and twenty percent cabernet sauvignon, which are fermented with indigenous yeasts and the wine is eventually bottled unfiltered. The 2019 version is outstanding aromatically, with the bouquet wafting from the glass in a refined blend of dark berries, black cherries, a touch of tree bark, a beautiful base of soil, cigar smoke and just a hint of violet in the upper register. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, focused and quite youthful, with a fine core of fruit, firm, chewy tannins, lovely balance and grip and a long, promising finish. This is quite closed and structured out of the blocks, but all it needs is cellaring time to soften up and start to drink with generosity. It will be a very good bottle in due course, but patience will be required. 2029-2050+. 90” – John Gilman, View From The Cellar, May-June 2021 #93