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| Chateau/Producer: | Gratien & Meyer | | Wine Name: | Cuvée Cardinal | | Country: | France | | State: | Loire | | Region: | Saumar | | Wine Score: | 84 | | Notes: | I'll confess up front: I bought this red, demi-sec sparkling wine from the Loire valley mostly to break up the monotany of the all-dry, all-Champagne New Year's. I didn't think it would actually be any good; the only sparkling reds (or for that matter, non-sparkling but sweet reds) I've had, I didn't much care for. But this one surprised me.
For a slightly sweet sparkling red, this wine was actually pretty decent. The color was a dark rose tint, darker than the average blush or rose, but lighter than most reds. It had fairly small bubbles, and a nose of strawberries. The flavor was interesting, slightly sweet, but not too much so. The main flavor was of red berries, with maybe a hint of cough syrup. The highish levels of acidity helped to counter the sweetness, but I found it a bit on the sharp side. Overall, this was a surprisingly pleasant wine, not a great wine, but good quality and offering something different than your usual sparkling wines. | | Tasting Date: | 2005-12-31 | | Varietal: | Cabernet Franc | | Production Notes: | 100% Cabernet franc. | | Price US$: | 18.99 | | Source: | Cork & Bottle, Baton Rouge |
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