Loire Valley Cabernet Franc has it all - the cedary fragrance of Left Bank Bordeaux, an elegant structure, and peerless ageing potential. If you ask a Loire Valley insider which domaine has the potential to rival Clos Rougeard’s benchmark wines, you’ll be knowingly pointed - as we were by star sommelier Marco Pelletier – towards Domaine du Bel Air.
In 2005, Pierre Gauthier combined his family’s holdings in Benais with historic vineyards around Château de Benais, transforming Bel Air into a top-tier estate. With 18ha in Bourgueil’s most exceptional vineyards, farmed organically and with great diligence, Pierre’s production is small but of exceptionally high quality.
In the palaces of gastronomy in Paris, sommeliers have been packing their lists with verticals from Domaine du Bel Air for years. Yet claret-loving British winos have been slower on the uptake, and the wines remain relatively little known in this country. For the quality on offer, they offer superb value for money.
