Cheapest Loire Cab Franc you could enjoy?

Cheapest enjoyable Loire CF

This is an offshoot of the Bottom Feeder thread Bottom Feeder Wines of the Major European Regions - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers to pick the cheapest wine you’d be happy to drink.

Preferably one of the first 3 options as they are cheapest. Maybe the Guion Bourgueil Domaine is the cheapest of all (I haven’t checked.)

I occasionally buy all of these, but only the Granges in most years as it tends to be the more consistently good QPR. Guion Cuvee Prestige and Deux Monts can occasionally hit some higher notes, so in quality years like 2014, I often often them both. Joguet Petites Roches has more off-moments. The couple dollars difference between the Guion Cuvee Prestige and the base domaine makes the base domaine a pass. I think these are all a couple dollars more now, and Deux Monts now around $25+. In quality years, the Baudry is an easy case buy for those that enjoy nice wines with most dinners during the week.

Well, that was my choice, but there are much more experienced palates than mine, yours in particular!

Now if we lived in France we could drink €6 LCF instead of water - which is what they did back in the day.

I picked up a six pack of the 2017 Guion Domaine for $12 recently. Have enjoyed a couple of them already.

I like all the ones on the list to some extent, though the Guion domaine and prestige I’m kind of so so on. The Joguet, at least when I’ve tried it, has been very old school, with some notable green flavors; I like it, but would avoid leaner vintages.

Other good-to-great cheapies include Coulaine Chinon Bonaventure ($18), Bel Air Bourgueil ($16), Domaine de la Butte Bourgueil Le Pied de la Butte ($22), Alliet Chinon ($20), and Y. Amirault La Coudraye (about $25). There are also some nicely drinkable Saumur and Saumur-Champigny wines in the $25 range.

I buy Chinon ‘Le Temps des Cerises’, Domaine de la Noblaie, for the last five years it has been consistently delicious.

I’ve liked Chateau du Petit Thouars ‘les Georges’, imported by Rosenthal. Surprised it never gets mentioned.

As the question is posed I would say the Guion Domaine. As Robert mentions, it’s worth buying the Prestige since the price difference is so little, but I can enjoy the Domaine, and in some years there doesn’t seem to be much difference. For what it’s worth I think that the Guion wines improve quite a bit over time, and that the Granges is much better for drinking young. Bonneliere’s Rive Gauche is another contender in this price range, and Chateau D’Epire’s Anjou Clos de la Cerisaie. Most of these entry level Loire CFs benefit from riper vintages, but those have become the norm in recent years.

Having looked them up on Wine Searcher, these ones:

Domaine des Hauts de Sanziers - Saumur (or Saumur-Champigny) - $8.43 + tax

Château Coudray-Montpensier - Chinon - $11.70 + tax

Both are wines I buy for daily drinking, costing 4 or 5 euros, but in good vintages offering real value for money.

Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses?

+1

This is much closer to 25-30 in recent vintages, so double the cost of the guion domaine

I like the Guion and it actually ages well, at least for the five years it has made it before I drank them all.

The Guion domain is good. I think this one is better within a buck or two:

Château du Hureau Saumur-Champigny Tuffe

A few years ago, I had a few Guions from the 1980s, they were quite pretty. These age very well in quality years.

Although I can’t say I drink a lot of Loire cab franc (I am moderately sensitive to pyrazines and prefer it in riper years when they’re in the background), Cris’s recommendation here is one I’ve enjoyed in multiple vintages.

I’ll also second the Tuffe—really nice wine for the price. Another good one in the same price range is Fosse-Seche Eolithe. Both can evolve nicely for 10-15 years in decent vintages. Filliatreau’s Le Grande Vignole is good too, and under $20; I lean towards drinking it on the younger side though.

Thanks for that, Julian?

+1

Baudry is winning in the poll. If another wine wins this I’m not going to accept the results - it must be rigged

Stop the count!