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I've enjoyed this easy-drinking Cabernet Franc with a number of spectacular vegetarian dishes, including a chanterelle-mushroom risotto paired with a spicy arugula salad with roasted nuts, blood orange slices, and balsamic vinaigrette. The risotto pairs well with the wine’s earthy notes, yet doesn’t upset its balance of delicate red fruit; at the same time, the wine’s acidity helps bring the rich, warming risotto to life.
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Bourgueil (pronounced 'boor-goy') is tricky to say but amazing to drink! This inexpensive, easy-drinking Cabernet Franc almost always over delivers on price. I first tasted the Domaine du Bel Air at one of those large, loud, crowded trade events after sampling (and spitting) many much less appealing wines. When I tasted this Bourgueil, it just sang; I came back to the table to try it again, and then again. Bright, refreshing and super-pleasant on the palate, the wine was also complex with great flavors and not too much weight.
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Cabernet Franc is the great red varietal of the Loire, and Loire Valley reds are often fresh, elegant and beautiful. They can span the entire range from light and bright to brooding and complex, and they’re amongst the best French reds when considering value. Case in point: The top reds (and whites) from the Loire are only about $100 a bottle, a figure that barely lets you scratch the surface in Bordeaux. In the Loire, it's still possible to find bottles like this one — inexpensive, organic, fermented and aged in cement, and with very low sulfur added at bottling.
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