GRAPE VARIETAL
100% Cabernet Franc (average vine age ~25 years).
APPELLATION
Chinon AOP (Loire Valley), with estate and parcels around Cravant-les-Coteaux.
TERROIR
Primarily limestone with gravel and flinty clay, plus small sandy pockets; fruit drawn from the Maisons Bordeaux, Grézeaux, and Granges parcels.
VINIFICATION
Destemmed fruit; alcoholic and malolactic fermentations in concrete over ~3 weeks; aged 7 months in cement tank; bottled April 29, 2024 (12.5% ABV; ~1,600 cases).
TASTING NOTES
Lively red-fruit profile led by bright cherries and mixed red berries, a light mineral line, and delicate, silky tannins; best served slightly chilled.
FOOD PAIRING
Goat-cheese tarts, chicken salads, and pan-seared duck are spot-on pairings.
Chinon sits along the Vienne River in the western Loire, where limestone banks and gravel terraces give Cabernet Franc a natural home. Summers are mild, nights are pleasingly cool, and the region’s mix of tuffeau, clay, and stones keeps ripening slow and steady rather than fast. It’s a terroir that produces Cabernet Franc with lift and clarity, perfectly ready for the casual table or upscale dinner party.
Domaine du Fossil is a six-hectare estate centered around the hamlet of Cravant, about ten minutes from the town of Chinon. Farming is organic, and the entire harvest is picked by hand. Vines range from roughly 25 to 70 years old, spread across sites that balance sand and gravel with clay and limestone. The domaine sits next door to Bernard Baudry, and that neighborly influence shows: a calm, low-intervention approach that favors vineyard work over crazy cellar cosmetics.
Le Rouge draws on some of the best local vineyard parcels, including Maisons Bordeaux, Grézeaux, and Granges. Fruit is destemmed, and primary fermentation and malolactic conversion occur in concrete for about three weeks, followed by seven months of élevage in cement. The result is a clean, unvarnished read of Cabernet Franc at 12.5% ABV, bottled in late spring with freshness intact and production kept to a modest scale.
Vineyard in Chinon, looking towards the village — AWM 2018 Buying Trip to France
In your glass, you’ll find red cherry, cranberry, and redcurrant, with a quiet line of graphite and a savory herb note that leans nicely into bay leaf instead of bell pepper. The palate is tidy and linear with fine, gentle tannins and lively acidity. A classic Chinon, albeit subtle limestone edge keeps the finish bright and focused.
For classic pairings, enjoy it with roast chicken, pork tenderloin with herbs, grilled sausages, niçoise-leaning salads, or a tomato, goat cheese, and onion confit tart. Or head off-road with tomato and bacon braised white beans with rosemary, mushroom-lentil shepherd’s pie, charred eggplant with tahini, bánh mì with pâté and fermented veggies, or seared tuna with warm green beans and fresh herbs. Slightly chilled is the sweet spot for this Loire red, and we love it about 55-60°F.