France has some of the most strict wine laws in the world, and their wine is categorized in grades. One of the “lower” grades is “Vin de Pays”, which translates to “Country Wine”. I really do not think wines categorized as “Vin de Pays” are any lower in quality than the other grades, they just have less restrictions on everything from the winemaking practices to what they can put on the label.
This bottle was recommended by the staff at Wine Thieves in Lafayette – which is a great store I will definitely be visiting more often. I was pleasantly surprised with the selection of wines they had under $20. Awesome cheeses too!
This Cabernet Franc with the very long name smells like fresh, ripe raspberries, a little pepper and rawhide. The fruit is jumping out of the glass at me but this does not smell like a high alcohol fruit bomb. Raspberry, pepper and some spicy notes come through on the midpalate but mostly raspberry. I expected the finish to be juicy, but it is quite dry. This doesn’t have the tannin of a Cab Sauv of course because it is a Cab Franc, but it is pretty rich and powerful. For best results, open the bottle 20-30 minutes before consuming.
$9.99/bottle at Wine Thieves
Triple