For Cabernet aficionados, I am very pleased to announce the arrival of a new Cabernet Franc from the Saumur-Champigny Appellation; our ABC wine team discovered this wine in June last year during a visit to Loire Valley. We tasted many good reds and whites at the tasting room of Cave de Saumur that day, but this one stood out of the bunch: the 2009 Les Villaises, Saumur-Champigny red, obviously the fruit from a superior terroir.

The Lieu-dit Les Villaises has been planted to the vine since ancient Roman times; its name refers to a third century Roman settlement found next to the vineyard. This site presents the ideal conditions for producing a soft, silky, smooth and full-bodied Cabernet Franc: optimum sun exposure, steep south-southwest facing slope on a small outcrop of chalky soil (tufa rock).

The 2009 Les Villaises exhibits warm and inviting aromas and flavors of violets, blackcurrant and strawberry jam. The wine is stainless steel fermented and aged to preserve its fruit, the tannins are well present but ripe and silky and the finish is long and vibrant; perfect match for grilled or roasted red meats and vegetables.

An everyday low price ($13) and 90 points rating from the Wine Spectator should only confirm your resolve to get a case of this 2009 Les Villaises. Drink over the next 5-6 years. Quantities are limited.

Atanas Nechkov, Central Florida Wine Supervisor

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