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More wines available from Chateau D'epire
750ml
Bottle:
$35.94
• Bottled especially for Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant
• Wine ferments for 6 weeks in small, stainless steel cuves...
375ml
Bottle:
$30.79
Traditionally called demi-sec, since 1996 we call moelleux wines with more than 17 grams of residual sugar. Those...
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Winery
Chateau D'epire
Vintage: 2011
The year 2011 was an interesting year for many northern and central European countries, as the weather was more than unpredictable in the spring and summer. However, in most countries, the climatic conditions thankfully settled down in the late summer and fall. The result of this slightly difficult year of weather in France was a set of surprisingly small yields, but overall, these yields were of a higher quality than those harvested in certain previous years. A fantastic set of wines was also made in Italy and Spain, and the Rioja wines - when released - are set to be very good indeed. Austria also had superb year in 2011, with almost fifty percent more grapes being grown and used for their distinctive Gruner Veltliner wines than in the year before. Possibly the European country which had the finest 2011, though, was Portugal, with wineries in the Douro region claiming this year to be one of the best in decades for the production of Port wine, and the bright, young Vinho Verdes wines.
In the New World, the Pacific Northwest saw some of the best weather of 2011, and Washington State and Oregon reportedly had a highly successful year, especially for the cultivation of high quality red wine grapes. Chile and Argentina had a relatively cool year, which certainly helped retain the character of many of their key grape varietals, and should make for some exciting drinking. South Africa had especially good weather for their white wine grape varietals, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and many South African wineries are reporting 2011 as one of their best years in recent memory.
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
In its native France, the Cabernet Franc varietal grape is used in the production of a wide range of wines, from the bright and pale red colored single variety bottles, to the magnificent oak aged and world-beating wines of the Bordeaux region. The past century has seen many other countries catch on to the importance of this fine grape varietal, and today, it is one of the most widely grown grapes in the world. It thrives in cool, temperate valley regions, where it can ripen fully and produce plump fruits carrying all their distinctive flavors and aromas. The production of Bordeaux-style wines around the world simply wouldn't be able to reach such heights without Cabernet Franc, which lends its fascinating and complex aromas to the mix and makes them the memorable wines they are.
Region: Loire Valley
The Loire Valley in France is home to many of the world's finest examples of white, rosé and sparkling wines, with a wide range of both dry and sweet examples being produced each year to international claim. Whilst Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc make up for much of the vineyards in the region, certain areas of the Loire Valley also produce superb red wines, such as the Cabernet Franc wines from the Chenin sub-region. This variety and level of excellence has long been admired, with the Loire Valley being highly favored in the middle ages by the crowned heads of Europe, and with a wine-making tradition which stretches back to the first century and perhaps beyond. The region has a wonderful continental climate, where hot summers meet oceanic winds, and excellent rich terroir carried by the river that flows through it.
Country: France
French winemakers are subjected to several laws and regulations regarding the wines they produce, and how they can be labeled and sold. Such procedures are designed to increase the overall quality of the country's produce, and also to ensure that wines made in each particular region or appellation are of a character and type which is representative of the area. Thankfully for consumers of wine world-wide, the French have a particularly high reputation to uphold, and seem to do so flawlessly. Every year, wineries from all over France produce millions upon millions of bottles of fine wine, making the most of their native grape varieties and the excellent terrain which covers most of the country. From the expensive and exquisite red wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, to the white wines and cremants of central France, the French are dedicated to providing the world with wines of the highest quality and most distinctive character.