Yohan Castaing reports on the Cabernet Francs (plus a splash of Chenin) of one of the Loire's best-kept secrets...
Clos Rougeard has always been a truly exceptional estate in the Saumur-Champigny appellation of the Loire, but its Cabernet Francs are rarely applauded outside certain circles, and rarely seen outside of collectors’ cellars.
{"content":"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"}
{}
{"wineId":"28478","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"28479","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"28480","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"28466","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"28467","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"28471","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"28474","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"28477","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"28469","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"28472","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"28475","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"28465","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"28468","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"28470","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"28473","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"28476","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
You may also like: