Chevalerie NV Vin de France Bulle de Fort

(Arrives Thursday 6/8) The brand new Domaine de la  Chevalerie "Bulle de Fort" is a direct press rosé Petillant Naturel, 100% Cabernet Franc and just incredibly delicious!! Warning, this is not a wimpy pale pink rosé - it shows a deep cherry-red color and a ripe full-bodied palate with beautiful red currant/raspberry fruit - really quite sensational, can't wait to bring some home...

Chevalerie 2019 Bourgueil Diptyque "Franco de Port"

(Arrives Thursday 6/8) The Chevalerie Bourgueil Diptyque is from vines located on 1 to 2 meters deep sand and gravel intermixed with clay soils on an old alluvial terrace close to the Loire, at the foot of the coteau. This terroir  gives supple, fruit driven Cabernet without being green or too simple thanks to the Biodynamic farming of the domain. If you don’t believe cabernet franc can be delicious, juicy, savoury yet fruity, just try this wine! The 2019 Diptyque shows a deep black/red color with aromas of forest floor, black cherry liqueur, black raspberry, bitter chocolate and licorice with bright hints of herbs and citrus peel. The palate is bright, sapid and supple wth dense flavors of earth, black fruits , anise, cocoa and chalky minerals - very similar to the very ripe 2018 version, but a bit less forward.  Even if it is the vin de soif, you can drink it over a couple of days - it will only get better! Keep it up to 5 years - serve with charcuterie, pork chops or roast chicken and be happy!

Chevalerie 2019 Bourgueil Noms D'Oiseaux

(Arrives Thursday 6/8) The new Chevalerie cuvée "Noms D'Oiseaux" is from two parcels symbolic of the domain, each situated at the two extremities of the slope overlooking the Loire.  “Nom d’Oiseaux” to warn of the urgent need to respect our biodiversity, not just false pretences but through real actions. At any rate, the 2019 is a subtle and intriguing Bourgueil showing a bright deep red/garnet color with fresh aromas of raspberry, violet, citrus and earth. On the palate there is firm acidity and chalky texture with ripe raspberry and strawberry fruit with mineral and spice notes. The fruit shows layers of complexity with aeration, the finish is long and sapid with red fruits and earth lingering on the palate. This is a lovely light-bodied Bourgueil that will beautifully accompany a roasted farm chicken. David Lillie

Chevalerie 2014 Bourgueil Peu Muleau

(Arrives Thursday 6/8) Peu Muleau is located on the upper part of the hill, above the Domaine de la Chevalerie and just below the forest of chestnut, acacia, oak, pine and birch, on Cenozoic eolian sands with iron, clay and altered tuffeau. The vines are around 35 years old, and farmed biodynamically. The maceration last less than 20 days. Aging is done in a mix of tank and large used barrels with less and less oak. This is the earliest drinking single-vineyard cuvée, always on the raspberry and wild violet with very supple tannins, but you can keep it up to 10 years without a problem. 2014 Loire reds are really great wines, despite a tricky vintage for the producers. Yet with the best the wines are delicious, in a classic ligérien style. It means the Peu Muleau from the Caslot in just a winner, a terrific value and such a great Bourgueil to enjoy now! The wine has a unique chalky minerality, subtle and earthy on the palate -  the nose explodes with raspberry and cherry blossom, coriander seeds and Sichuan pepper. The ripe, salivating acidity is driving the palate, with supple tannins, and a lingering saltiness. It is ready to drink now, but cellared  for 4-5 years you will gain some nice earthy secondary tones. Pair it with  a beautiful pâté en croûte, duck rillette or a summer porcini risotto. 100% Cabernet Franc. PL/DL

Chevalerie 2015 Bourgueil Les Galichets

(Arrives Thursday 6/8) The Chevalerie "Galichets" vineyard is on mid-slope Turonian limestone with clay and alluvial sand and gravel topsoil, rich in silex; the vines average about 60 years of age - similar to the "Chevalerie" parcel but a bit lower on the slope, giving a wine that is more open and easy for early drinking.  The 2015 vintage is excellent, with a bit more ripeness and lower acidity than 2014, while retaining the core of minerals and acidity always found in the Chevalerie wines. The aromas of black raspberry and blackberry fruit are ripe and floral. The palate is dense and silky, very mineral with ripe red and black fruits and a clean vibrant finish. Still quite youthful, but drinking beautifully now.  David Lillie

Chevalerie 2014 Bourgueil Bretêche

(Arrives Thursday 6/8) Bretêche (Domaine de la Chevalerie is the only estate claiming this vineyard name) is the easternmost vineyard, a rented plot on the border of Ingrandes-de-Touraine. On the southwestern exposed upper part of the mid-slope, the vines are planted on a meter-deep heavier clay with high mica content above the Turonian yellow tuffeau. The vines, biodynamically farmed, are between 25 to 55 years old. More powerful than Busardières with broader tannins, the wine maintains a great freshness. Hand-harvested and destemmed, the grapes are macerated for up to 20 days and aged in large used barrels in the magnificent underground cave dug into the yellow tuffeau for roughly 8 to 10 moths. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.  2014 is considered a great classic vintage in the Loire for Cabernet Franc, and it is indeed very good at Domaine de la Chevalerie, with fruit a little darker than the 2015 (this opposite to a lot of other estates in the region).  Ruby purple in the glass this cuvée as usual has more freshness, tension and a little austerity - 2014 enhances these typical quality of the wine! More open than the 2015, the nose has distinctive black cherry,  elderberry notes, Chinese badiane and spearmint. The palate is still deliciously youthful barely showing any evolution, with lean and brilliant acidity, and oolong-like tannins. It is already very-well structured and poised, not angular at all. Decant it 2 hours and serve it in Bordeaux glasses, or keep it 20 years or so - I would say it will reach another plateau by 2025. Enjoy it with a duck magret, the juice reduced with a touch of raspberry vinegar, or sweetbreads in a madeira sauce. 100% Cabernet Franc. Pascaline Lepeltier 

Chevalerie 2015 Bourgueil Bretêche

(Arrives Thursday 6/8)  Bretêche  is their easternmost vineyard, a rented plot on the border of Ingrandes-de-Touraine - (Domaine de la Chevalerie is  the only estate claiming this vineyard name). On the southwestern exposed upper part of the mid-slope, the vines are planted on a meter-deep heavier clay with high mica content above the Turonian yellow tuffeau. The vines, biodynamically farmed are between 25 to 55 years old. 2015 was an easier, more mastered vintage for the Caslot siblings, as the growing season was never extreme, and the harvests were peaceful. A little more concentrated than the 2014, especially in acidity, this a great vintage for the Domaine! Bretêche 15 is still a baby! Purple in the glass, the wine as usual has more freshness, tension and a little austerity. This is even more apparent here. The nose is a little restrained, showing progressively a lot of black and red currant and cranberry, hibiscus tea and black cardamon. In the palate, it is a superbly balanced wine, with some chiseled tannins enhanced by the lingering acidity. There is less flesh than other cuvées, and the texture is sleeker  but absolutely charming and vibrant - and could please any Burgundy lover. You will pick up more herbal notes in the palate : tobacco, beet juice, pink peppercorn. A great bottle to keep 10 years and plus, as it is built to age!  To serve it now, decant it a good hour at least or enjoy it over multiple days. 100% Cabernet Franc. Pascaline Lepeltier 

Chevalerie 2018 Bourgueil Busardière

(Arrives Thurday 6/8)  From a 2 ha plot located fairly high on the slope, just below the Peu Muleau with more clay, and shallow soils closer to the Turonian yellow tuffeau. In the right hands, 2018 was a superb vintage for Loire Valley reds and the Busardieres was extraordinary at last winter's tasting, showing an incredibly elegant melange of dark fruit and mineral flavors with great purity and length,  in the same mold as the Baudry Croix Boissée. If drinking now, please give it a lengthy decant or open the day before, best to wait 5 years then enjoy until 2040 and beyond. David Lillie

Chevalerie 2018 Bourgueil Cuvée Chevalerie

(Arrives Thursday 6/8) The "home" vineyard also produced a superb wine in 2018, perhaps les dense and dark than the Busardières, but more expressive of the very old vines and the limestone below and beatifully balanced. La Chevalerie, between the Galichets and the winery, is slightly higher on the slope, with more clay on the top part. The Turonian tuffeau is not even three feet below. The oldest vines date from 1903 and 1922, the average being 75 years. The sandier part of the plot goes into the Galichets. This cuvée is a perfect introduction to the more “serious” tuffeau driven bottlings of the domaine.  You still get the flesh and texture brought by the sand, you also pick up the racy, salty and fresh acidity typical of the tuffeau. The fruit becomes more blue with distinctive herbal notes. The Caslots have farmed this parcel since 1640! The 2018 will be great fun to enjoy in its youthful intensity, but best to wait 5 to 8 years then drink until 2040..