CHATEAU DU PETIT THOUARS 2010 TOURAINE L'AMIRAL ROUGE

Made only in exceptional vintages, “L’Amiral” (“The Admiral”) is truly commanding. An homage to the utterly uncompromising, rugged, old-school Chinon of ages past, it is produced exclusively from the press juice of Cabernet Franc, and aged in used 225-liter barrels (third-passage oak purchased from Bordeaux) for a minimum of two years before bottling—although the imposing architecture of the 2010 vintage prompted Michel to give this particular wine a full four years. The “L’Amiral” (a Touraine in name but a Chinon in spirit) snarls and growls, a grainy transmission from another era. The deep, sanguine nose invites inward rather than explodes outward—a whirling mass of pipe tobacco, leathery spice, savory herbs, and iron. The classic Cabernet Franc varietal character so evident in the two wines above is muted but still present, a whisper of tangy red fruit and pretty violets beneath the visceral roar. While still bare-knuckled in its tannic thrust, this wine manages to avoid heaviness on the palate, which echoes the intensity and spice-driven blast of the aromatic profile. It is a testament to the estate’s commitment to classicism that they produce such a bold, full-throttle wine as this—one which fits beautifully within our portfolio alongside other such beloved outliers as Chateau Pradeaux in Bandol, Domaine Levet in Cote-Rotie, and Paolo Bea in Montefalco.