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Touraine Le Vilain P'tit Rouge Domaine Ricard 2022 NJ
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Tasting Notes: This 100% Cot (Malbec) was hand-harvested and fermented in a concrete tank, after which the wine was transferred to a mix of 400-liter barrels of which one third were new. Followi... ng the malolactic, the wine matured in the barrels for six months before bottling. In the glass, Le Vilain P’tit Rouge 2021 is dark violet at the center, with bright flashes of purple-flecked garnet towards the edge. Aromas of crushed black raspberries, sun-dried Mission figs, Satsuma plums, and crushed violets emerge at first, then intermingle with suggestions of smoked black walnuts, sweet poblano peppers, and fresh dill as the nose evolves in the glass. On the palate, a savory, plum-berry compote is seasoned with raspberry acids, and evolves into a classic Malbec core: an amalgam of red and black fruit with dried clay-rich earth, smoke, leaves and wood toast. The overall impression is charming and food-friendly. Drink now–2029. Read More
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Vincent Ricard is the perfect example of the kind of winegrower I admire the most: the first in his family to estate-bottle his wines. When he took over the family estate in 1998, Vincent immediately quit the Oisly-Thésée Cave Cooperative, which had been founded by his grandfather. He never looked back—and is now one of the Loire Valley’s most admired young growers, regularly crafting wines that are the equal of any top Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. The entire harvest is bottled at the estate. There are seventeen hectares planted mostly to Sauvignon Blanc, with small parcels of Cot (Malbec), Breton (Cabernet Franc), and Gamay. The farming is entirely organic and incorporates practices learned from the discipline of biodynamics, which Vincent encountered while working with Claude Levasseur, the uncle of François Chidaine of Montlouis and Vouvray.
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The Loire River runs 635 miles from the Cévennes Mountains in southeastern France to the Atlantic Coast and flows through (or near) over 60 different appellations. During its long history, the hillsides along the banks provided well-drained soils on which to grow grapes, and the river itself provided a transportation network to outside markets. The Touraine appellation covers a broad area of land in the central Loire and encompasses many famous, smaller appellations such as Vouvray. Many interesting wines are also grown along the banks of the Cher, a small tributary of the Loire, in steep calcereous soils planted to a broad variety of grapes such as Sauvignon, Gamay Cot, and Cabernet Franc.
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This French variety has many local names depending on where the vine is grown. These names include (most commonly) "Côt," "Auxerrois," and "Pressac." The primary variety of the ancient Cahors in southwest France, and important as well in many of the red wines of the Loire Valley, it can be found in small amounts nearly everywhere wine is grown in France. Also the most important variety in Argentina, where a unique "clone," producing smaller berries and tighter clusters of grapes was introduced in 1868. The wines tend towards plummy aromatics and dense tannins.
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Grilled pork chops, steak frites, and roast beef are wonderful with this "bistro" wine.