GUIBERTEAU LES MOULNINS SAUMUR RED 750ML

Most people associate Domaine Guiberteau with their stunning whites made from Chenin Blanc, but it’s their most affordable Cabernet Franc that is a total sleeper. Loire Valley Cabernet Franc tends to be a love-it-or-hate-it thing. For years, I was firmly in the latter camp. Then, slowly, I shifted and became a fan. Part of that conversion came from discovering what, for me, is the most pleasurable terroir for Cabernet Franc in the Loire: the stretch of land west of Chinon, between Saumur and Thouars. This is one of the driest corners of the region, producing wines that feel fundamentally different from their neighbors: less herbal, less austere, and somehow more complete, showing off their extra-long legs of silky fruit. New to store, it’s nearly impossible to find back vintages of Guiberteau’s Les Moulins. With the 2024 vintage, the wine was rebranded as a négociant project, “Chai de la Dive,” which focuses mostly on leased younger vines. The stuff in this bottle is pure estate pedigree, from mixed parcels of older vines, made with gentle methods in the cellar. Energetic rather than powerful, it races across the palate yet feels slow motion. It’s like an old-school Jordan dunk — grace & swagger team Cabernet Franc. ~Allegra Angelo