Loire, FR
Type, Red
Grapes, Cabernet Franc
Alc. 13%
Year, 2015
Size, 750ml
Serving: chilled (12–14°C)
About: Martine Bude farms parcels with three distinct soil types in the Chinon appellation, each of which is vinified and bottled separately. ‘Renaissance’ comes from a couple of parcels in CravantLes-Coteaux, an area that sits on the right bank of the Vienne river (one of the main tributaries to the Loire). These parcels are close to the river on flatter land, and are a bit more humid as a result. Martine describes the personality of these vines and wines as ‘fun, easy-drinking with a rustic farm girl charm.’
The grapes are always destemmed as she aims to avoid green or bitter notes in her Cab Franc. Fermentation happens in tronconic concrete tanks with no pumpovers or punchdowns, more of an infusion style for very soft extraction. After pressing the wine is returned to concrete where it is aged for 12-18 months depending on the vintage. This one, however, was a one-off experiment where she left the wine in concrete for over 5 years prior to bottling in 2021. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered with a small sulphite addition.