Couly-Dutheil "Domaine René Couly" 2002, A.C. Chinon. **HERITAGE WINE**

Colour: dark, deep red with purple.
Nose: quite expressive, with a lot of cool, spicy berry and cherry fruit, a bit phenolic Cabernet, with many mineral (chalky) nuances, also "led pencil" and wet stone impressions, very earthy, some discreet oak, a bit sombre, ripe, complex, some sweet nuances, but also many fresh impressions, very clean, resembling a good Bordeaux.
Taste: reasonable powerful, with mainly fresh nuances, many earthy fruity nuances with also chalky minerals, a touch of liquorice, impressions of smoke, some roundness and mildness, but also with fresh acidity and tannins with grip like in a good Bordeaux, a bit sombre (aroma's), well balanced and with complexity.
Finish: reasonably long, with many earthy fruity and spicy nuances (blackberry, cherry), some smoky tannins, freshness, very clean and well balanced.

* A very good dry, fresh and earthy, spicy fruity red Loire wine entirely made from Cabernet Franc grapes. Characteristic, fresh Loire styled "cool" wine with some Bordeaux seriousness, elegance, balance and an impressive array of complex fruit nuances.
 

- Very good drinking now, but the condition of the uncorked bottled (nearly 4 weeks) indicates great maturation stamina. I suspect this wine will only gain with keeping, it will become more complex and nuanced. The balance is there, the extract the acidity and the very clean aroma's suggest a very promising future. Will probably keep at least until 2010, maybe till 2015 or later.

- This wine shows the potential of some vintages of the best red Loire's: intense, earthy fruit, freshness, complexity and expressive clear and clean aroma's. 2002 is supposed a very good vintage in the Loire, this wine has more power than the Domaine René Couly 2001 from this producer which was more velvet in style and texture, but not as powerful as the 2002.

- lotnr.: L 2216001

- tasted: 13-05-’05 (retasted 06-06 (nearly 4 weeks after opening: still in excellent condition)

- 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