2020 Anjou Noir, Domaine Belargus, Loire

Cabernet Franc is widely planted in Bordeaux and is the most important black grape grown in the Loire. In the Médoc it may constitute up to 15% of a typical vineyard - it is always blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and is used to add bouquet and complexity to the wines. It is more widely used in St.Emilion where it adapts well to the cooler and moister clay soils - Cheval Blanc is the most famous Cabernet Franc wine in the world, with the final blend consisting of up to 65% of the grape.

Domaine Belargus sits in the Loire Valley’s Anjou appellation. It is owner Ivan Massonat’s labour of love. His grandfather farmed a small vineyard where the family lived in Savoie, so wine was always familiar to Ivan. It was Burgundy that first stole Ivan’s heart, however – how the region could produce such varied expressions of one grape variety fascinated him.