Domaine Filliatreau Saumur Champigny Vielles Vignes 2009

Domaine Filliatreau is a large estate of about 50 hectares located near the city of Saumur. The estate is known for its fruity, easy drinking style of Cabernet Franc; in fact it was founder Paul Filliatreau's stylistic shift to stainless steel vinifications with short macerations in the 1970's that made the style popular and in demand in Parisian bistros.

100% Cabernet Franc. The vieilles vignes in this case range from 50 to 100 years old and are scattered multiple parcels on clay-limestone soils. Certified-biodynamic farming. The bunches are harvested by hand, destemmed and fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel with a 20-day maceration. The wine is aged in steel for a year and bottled with a light, non-sterile filtration. Sulfur use is modest.

This bottling is a library release that was aged in the winery's cellar since bottling and just recently arrived in the US. Here are some notes from the cellarmaster: