Couly-Dutheil "Domaine René Couly" 2001, A.C. Chinon. **HERITAGE WINE**

Colour: moderately deep red with purple.
Nose: impressive, clean, soft, velvety complex and sweet ripe berry fruit, beautiful and elegant Cabernet aroma's, both warm and sweet plus fresh and creamy, very pure, some nuances of crushed cherry-stones.
Taste: like the nose: fresh, soft, rich, but in an elegant way, medium bodied, complex, fresh and ripe red berry fruit, a whiff of both white pepper and liquorice, a touch of laurel, perfect balance between acidity, softness, body and very fine, ripe and velvety tannins.
Finish: not very long, very clean and clear, with nice and complex berry fruit, some nuances of smoke, soft and elegant, with a nice, refined tiny touch of sweetness at the end.

* A textbook Cabernet from the Loire. Excellent wine showing great harmony between all constituents and great drink ability because of the complex, juicy, soft and fresh berry fruit. Matured in partly barriques and foudres just to smooth any edge, not to add wood aroma's. Not the power of a Bordeaux, but the velvet and seductive qualities only an excellent Loire-Cabernet-Franc can have.  Not a great wine in terms of depth of power, but a great achievement in balance. A wine that makes you asking for a second and third glass.

- Optimal drinking now, will probably keep for a year, maybe two, might lose its attractive fruit in a few years, no previous experience with this wine.

- This wine shows the forte of the best red Loire's: juicy fruit, freshness, softness, complexity and expressive clear and clean aroma's.

- lotnr.: L 2116202

- tasted: 01-12-’03 (still delicious after 2 weeks in open bottle)

- estimated retail price ca. 10 euro

- average production: ca. 160.000 bottles

- Couly-Dutheil, 12, rue Diderot, 37500 Chinon, tel.: + 33-247 97 20 20 / fax.: + 33-247 97 20 25 / e-mail: webmaster@coulydutheil-chinon.com / web site: www.coulydutheil-chinon.com