Pierre Chainier
2012 Quintessence Chinon Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
France: Loire Valley
Mission Briefing
The Star of Loire
Today’s Pierre Chainier 2012 Quintessence Chinon Cabernet Franc is a beautifully elegant 100% Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley.
We love our Cab Francs here at TWS. Agent Red in particular, is always on the lookout for more. Today’s French Franc leans a bit more on structure and terroir rather than the fruit-forward nature of many California Francs. This elegant flavor profile is a beautiful change of pace, and makes today’s wine a spectacular pairing for a wide variety of meal options.
Please enjoy today’s French treat with our highest recommendation.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Perfectly diffused dark cherry red throughout the glass, with flecks of lighter ruby shining through. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Very crisp and clean on the nose, with fruit forward notes of mulberry, wild strawberry, and black cherry joined by a touch of dried fallen leaves, sweet tobacco leaf, and a hint of a fresh spring garden. |
| Taste: | Very elegant, with a classic French flavor profile through and through. Black cherry, sweet plum, and fresh raspberry are framed against California bay leaf, tobacco leaf, dried cranberry, cassis, and a lovely dried herbal element that perfectly frames the other flavor components. |
| Finish: | Smooth and supple, with great structure and velvety tannins that leave a slight pucker at the edge of the tongue. |
| Pairing: | Skewers of pork tenderloin, sweet onion, and red pepper, finished with a fresh balsamic glaze. |
What the Winery Says
This enticing wine is full bodied and well structured, with dense flavors of crushed black fruits.
Serve this wine at 60-65°F, it is delicious with grilled meats such as T-bone steaks or with a plate of mature goat’s milk cheeses.
- Winemaker
- Francois Chainier
- Appellation
- Loire Valley, France
- Fruit Variety
- 100% Cabernet Franc
- ABV
- 13%
About the Winery
My site on the banks of the Loire is not very old. Indeed, it only dates back to the 1960s. However, my ancestors were already producing wine in the Bordeaux region back in the mid 18th Century and my wife’s family were wine growers and merchants in Cognac at the end of the 19th Century.
For me, the Loire was a case of love at first sight, with its vineyards and fresh, fruity wines: so easy to drink either young or venerably old: like the 1893 Vouvrays, still in perfect condition today. Today, the Maison Pierre Chainier is still a family business, based in Amboise, a royal town built on the banks of the River Loire. We are wine merchants, specialising in Touraine wines. Our average production is approximately 6 millions bottles (500,000 cases).
My wife Anne Chainier looks after the estates, the Château de Pocé and the Château de la Roche, in which she also raises thoroughbred French saddle horses, including Gloria de la Roche, a winner of major international competitions. My eldest son François is the managing director of the company. He also owns the prestigious Clos de Nouys and Clos du Gaimont vineyards in Vouvray. My two other sons, Louis and Philippe, are in charge of exports, particularly to the United States and Canada. I hope that in the future, they will take over from their mother in the running of the Touraine estates.