AWM Locals -- Email Subscribers -- Regional Regulars -- Log in here first-->
Open mobile app
Awm Phone ContactMon–Sat: 11:00 AM — 5:00 PM
Need more info on a wine, want to talk food pairings? We’re just a call away, and we'd love to help!
Alain et Pascal Lorieux Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil 23
$28.99
Another soulfull local-global red from Asheville Importer Jason Tippetts
In stock: 7 available
Alain et Pascal Lorieux Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil 23
Product Details
Brand: Cabernet Franc
The verdant Loire Valley stretches across the middle of France, and in the center of the Valley, Cabernet Franc is the region’s most important red varietal. In appellations of Chinon, Bourgueil, Saint‑Nicolas‑de‑Bourgueil, Saumur, Saumur‑Champigny, and Anjou, it’s locally known as “Breton.” While there’s quite a bit of Gamay and Pinot Noir grown in the Loire, Cabernet Franc is the region-defining red. The region’s terroir, shaped by tuffeau limestone soils on gravelly terraces and the temperate, Atlantic‑influenced climate are perfect for Cabernet Franc.
Within the Loire, Cabernet Franc’s personality shifts as you move from village to village. Chinon, with its mix of gravel plains and limestone slopes, yields everything from easy-going, juicy bistro wines to more muscular, cellar‑worthy expressions. Bourgueil and Saint‑Nicolas‑de‑Bourgueil mostly lean toward vivid dark berry fruit and fresh acidity that finishes with a charming herbal lift. Saumur and Saumur‑Champigny (Asheville’s Sister City) features a finer, chalk‑etched structure, with more floral notes and softer texture. Comparing the different villages really shows how remarkably sensitive Cabernet Franc can be to place, reflecting even the most subtle shifts in terroir in the next village just down the road.
Viticulture in Bourgueil and Saint‑Nicolas‑de‑Bourgueil dates back to Roman times; however, the area’s vineyards flourished after the founding of Bourgueil Abbey in the 10th century. Fast forward ten centuries, and Saint‑Nicolas‑de‑Bourgueil earned its own AOC status in 1937, distinguishing its sandy‑gravelly terraces and fresh, approachable reds from neighboring Bourgueil. It’s fascinating that even though the two AOCs share broadly similar terroir and a singular devotion to Cabernet Franc, almost all of the local vignerons are hyper-focused on site‑specific expressions.
Alain and Pascal Lorieux are firmly rooted in exactly that site-specific Loire tradition, farming vines in both Saint‑Nicolas‑de‑Bourgueil and nearby Chinon. The brothers cultivate their vineyards sustainably, vinifying grapes from individual terroirs separately so that the nuances of each sitecan clearly shine in the finished wines. Their Saint‑Nicolas‑de‑Bourgueil cellar sits near the eastern entrance to the village, at the beginning of the right‑bank terraces that separate Bourgueil from Saint‑Nicolas, emphasizing the firm line of demarcation that’s defined the two appellation styles for generations.
In your glass, Saint‑Nicolas‑de‑Bourgueil from Alain et Pascal Lorieux is a vibrant, medium‑bodied expression of Cabernet Franc featuring classic Loire notes of black cherry and crushed raspberry framed by earthy hints of cedar and dried herbs. A subtle and persistent beam of graphite‑like minerality focuses the fruit and keeps things well-lifted. Bright acidity and fine‑grained tannins keep this Loire red wonderfully food-friendly for the table or for casual sipping pleasure by the fireplace.
Traditional food pairings from the central Loire work like a champ with the wine’s freshness and herbal nuance. Local Brebis Fermier cheese, charcuterie, rillettes, roast pork, grilled sausages, and simple dishes built around lentils, mushrooms, or game birds work beautifully with young Saint‑Nicolas‑de‑Bourgueil. For more adventurous combinations, the grape’s herbal, medium‑bodied profile makes it a surprisingly deft partner for herb‑rich vegetarian cuisine, tomato‑based dishes, herb-rubbed roasted root vegetables, and even spiced preparations of lamb or poultry.
