Explore the parent/offspring relationship between three famous grapes. The proud parents: Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. The celebrated offspring: Cabernet Sauvignon. Taste Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley, the homeland, before an extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, the region that today is perhaps the world's most visible ambassador of this most famous grape.
Deschamps Pouilly Fume 'Les Porcheronnes 2018'
This is a new vintage from one of our favorite producers in the Loire. Masters of the Sauvignon Blanc grape, the Deschamps family makes some of the finest examples in the whole world, yet none of their wines exceed $40. We are delighted to pour their Les Porcheronnes for you tomorrow. A blend from a variety of sites in the Les Loges district of Pouilly Fume, the 2018 Les Porcheronnes is delicate but fruity, with notes of citrus, apples and stone fruits, as well as delectable floral and leafy nuances, and of course loads of minerality. This is a classic and one of the finest "entry-level" wines in the region. If you like Sauvignon, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, you need to taste Deschamps.
Lame Deslisle Boucard Bourgueil 'Cuvee Prestige' 2016
Hands down one of the best values on our shelves, this wine has a sturdy following at Craft and Cru. Quite complex for a $15 wine, one can find a wide range of flavors from bright berries and fresh flowers to black walnuts and motor oil. It also ages brilliantly. A 2005 consumed a couple years ago was beautiful. Certainly not the last word in fine Cabernet Franc, this wine is nonetheless one of our very favorites and we believe it is one of the world's best introductions to this overlooked grape.
Snowden Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 'The Ranch' 2016
We were very happily selling the 2014 and 2015 vintages of this wine for $60. Snowden is a small producer (about 2000 cases total) in Napa Valley, and has been considered to be among the best producers in region for at least a decade, so $60 seemed quite reasonable (many ask for much more for lesser wines). Well I guess someone was feeling generous, because we can now sell it for 25% less! This is not some tired closeout, rather it is a young, powerful Cab that is years away from its prime. Today it is beautiful with a few hours of air, showing gorgeous notes of blue and black fruits, spring flowers, graphite and wild herbs. It is structured like a fine classed growth Bordeaux, but with a purity of fruit that is unmistakably California. Drink it now or save it for up to 20 years. At this price, a case would be a solid investment.