Chateau Tour Grise ‘253′ Saumur, 2004
~$13US, 100% Cabernet Franc, Saumur, Loire Valley, France
Wine Blogging Wednesday 47 is upon us, and this month the theme is simply the letter ‘S’. Slim pickins in the Bestdrinkever HQ cellar - It was either this Saumur, a Spatburgunder (which just felt wrong), or a choice of Syrahs (too ordinary). My daughter thought this one looked cool, especially the kitschy alligator-skin capsule that just screamed ‘drink me’.
The Saumur Rouge (Saumur also produces Blancs with Chenin Blanc) poured a deep magenta purple, and had an unmistakable pickled jalepeno pepper spice on the nose. There was something ‘twiggy’ or ‘leafy’ about this wine on the nose and palate - a crispy vegetal/earthiness that overwhelmed any fruit character. A big bolt of acidity and astringent tannins on the backend gave the wine an overall inaccessibility. Food pairing is a must - Just not sure what exactly…maybe rabbit or game with a mushroom ragout? Cheeses? Twigs?
While I routinely enjoy old-world old-school wines, and I prize acidity and earthiness quite a bit - this didn’t really tickle me as much as I’d expected. Maybe more time in the bottle would help the mid-palate fatten up - but more time in the glass just made it skew more tart and thin. I respect the Chateau’s natural winemaking techniques, non-filtration, and low yields, but I’m just not feeling this particular bottle.
I like the veggies in my wine, so I might give this one a try. Sorry you didn’t dig it.
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