Region: Saumur, Loire, France
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Tasting: The Domaine des Ormes Saumur rouge pours a deep, dark ruby in the glass. The nose on this 100% Cabernet Franc is beautifully complex, with notes of ripe blackberries, fresh underbrush, green bell pepper and truffles, with the freshness of ripe strawberries. On the mid-palate, the wine is like a bowl of berries, with a dark concentration of fruits, firm structure and silky-soft tannins with a finish that is as long as the Loire River itself.
Pairing: Enjoy with grilled meats (especially sausage), roasted poultry with herbed creme fraiche, herb crusted rack of lamb, or hearty vegetables. Also goo with goats cheese, young pecorino and other young sheep cheeses, perhaps on a charcuterie plate. Parmesan-Crusted Rack of Lamb by Sam Sifton is an amazing succulent treat with this Loire Cab France. Add some fall/winter roasted vegetables and you’ll have an awesome comfort meal!
About: Domaine des Ormes is a small estate in Saumur. Their wines are made at La Cave des Vignerons de Saumur, an association of about 40 grape-growers formed in 1957 with the idea that as a group, they were stronger than as individuals. Their goal is to share their experience, their expertise and their dreams. The winery is based on top of a hill in Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg, and their cellar stretches underground for over six miles! The Cabernet Franc grapes come from a single-vineyard block grown on clay, chalk and sandstone soils. These are wines made by winemakers for winemakers: true terroir wines. They are crafted without pretension or grand ambition for high scores or international praise, but to open and share with great food and great company.
The vines are an average 30 years old. The oldest vines, more than a century old, were planted in curved rows to make it easier for horses to plough in times past. They are very attached to preserving the work of their ancestors.
