Region: Anjou, Loire, France
Varietal: 80% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Notes: 90 Points – John Szabo, Wine Align
“Mary Taylor is a sort of micro-negociant combing the less well-beaten paths of Europe looking for simple but authentic regional expressions. “Our simple White Label series is here to serve as your guide through the rural backroads and winding country lanes of the European wine route”, reads the website; each wine in the series features the name of the grower, and is also priced accessibly I should add. The Anjou rouge is made from 80% cabernet franc with 20% cabernet sauvignon and displays that classic, cool Loire leafiness and fresh, tart strawberry-raspberry fruit, perfumed and inviting, fresh violet-inflected. The palate is likewise sheer pleasure, juicy, crunchy, vibrant, infinitely drinkable, with light, silky tannins. I love the succulent acids and the vaguely saline taste that keeps you coming back for more. Enjoy with a chill over the near term – textbook Loire Cabernet.”
Pairing: This bottle will pair well with dishes flavored with herbs, especially dill, fennel, rosemary and tarragon. Think chicken with herbs like roast chicken with herby crème fraîche or lavash, or an herb-crusted rack of lamb. It also has an affinity with green vegetables especially when they’re grilled or roasted. This Fennel al Forno by David Tanis is an excellent main dish for vegetarians, or side dish on the table with herb roasted chicken. Cheers!
About: This extremely conscientious farm in the Coteaux de L’Aubance within the Anjou-Villages is run by a winemaking family, known by Biotteau. This is the fourth generation of Biotteau to make wine here. Today the family is hypersensitive to respecting the land and the winery is HVE level 3 certified.
In terms of winemaking, our foremost priority is to highlight the true diversity of terroirs. As a result, our producers uniformly employ little to no filtration, limit the amount of sulfur added before bottling, and choose to carry out their fermentations via natural or local yeast strains. They also avoid the use of overly intrusive young oak in order to emphasize the underlying expression of vintage, grape, and place.
-Mary Taylor Wine
