Tasting Notes: 

Pale salmon in color the nose is full of fruity and delicate aromas upfront like apricot, peach and cherry, followed by hints of more exotic fruits like mango and guava. The foam is soft, creamy, and very festive for the season that we are entering now. On the palate you have fine bubbles and citrus notes while the finish reveals hints of tangy red berries which is really that Cabernet Franc coming through.

Domaine Ratron: 

Domaine Ratron Clos de Cordeilers is located in the heart of the Saumur-Champigny appellation. The estate is an enclosed 13 hectares and has always been a terroir renown for Cabernet Franc. This site has been home to viticulture and wine production for more than 3 centuries. The first mention of vine cultivation on the estate dates back to 1630.

The property was purchased by the Ratron family in 1932 who for 4 generations have expanded, modernized and perpetuated the reputation of the estate. Since 2017 the estate has been managed by Marie-Francois Ratron-Galet who is also the estates head winemaker. 

Cabernet Franc: 

Cabernet Franc is a dark-skinned French wine grape variety grown in most wine producing nations. The variety is most famously known as a key red grape in the Loire Valley and as the third grape of Bordeaux. It can be found in many of the world's top Bordeaux blend wines. It is known as one of the two parent grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon. Sauvignon Blanc being the other. 

While Cabernet Franc grapes have thinner skin and lower acidity than its progeny, it is also known for its hardiness. It ripens relatively early in the growing season making it less susceptible to the threat of poor weather later in the season. It is often grown as an "insurance" grape, able to produce good yields if managed correctly. 

Crémant Wines: 

This wine is made from 100% Cabernet Franc from their enclosed estate vineyards. As with all Cremants it is made in the traditional Champagne method where the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle. And while cremants traditionally spend about 9 months aging in the bottle with the lees, this wine spend 72 months. 

Loire Valley:

The Loire is France’s third largest wine producing region by volume and number one for AOC-based white wines. The Loire wine region sits in a 600 mile stretch of the Loire River Valley and its tributaries. Vineyards line much of the right and left bank, as well as several key tributaries. All of this water adds up to a temperature modulating amount of humidity that helps to define the various terroir, especially as you get closer to the sea. 

Starting at the Atlantic ocean and running east the Loire is broken into 3 major regions: the Lower Loire region of Pays Nantais, the middle Loire home to Anjou, Saumur and Touraine, the upper Loire with the regions of Sancerre and Pouilly Fume. White wines account for the majority of the wine production and, at least, historically much of the region's acclaim with Vouvray, Sancerre and Pouilly Fume. But in the past decade red wines have been on the rise as well.

Food & Wine Pairing: 

Cremant Rosé is an excellent starter wine. Break this out at the start of your meal or gathering and pair with your cheese and charcuterie board because sparkling wine loves fat and salt. Or pop this bottle when you get take out Chinese or Thai because this fruity rosé can stand up to a little spice.

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