Lame Delisle Boucard Bourgueil Vieilles Vignes 2023 (750ml)

“Vieilles Vignes” 2022 draws solely from 50- to 70-year Cabernet Franc rooted in Benais’ gravel-topped tuffeau slopes on the Loire’s north bank.

Low-yield clusters, hand-picked at perfect phenolic ripeness, travel minutes to the cellar, destemmed yet left as whole berries for a month-long native-yeast cuvaison.

Gentle pump-overs extract color and satin tannin without greenness; a slow press leads to 18 months in large, neutral oak foudres that add oxygen polish, not flavor. Medium-plus body, brisk acidity, and fine, chalk-etched tannins promise pleasure now after a brief decant and graceful evolution over the next decade.

Winery: Lame Delisli Boucard

Grapes: Cab Franc

Region: France/Loire/Middle Loire/Touraine/Bourgueil