2023 Domaine Frédéric Mabileau Bourgueil “Racines”, Loire Valley, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

The plot that this Cabernet Franc comes from is located in the Bourgueil appellation, in Chouzé-sur-Loire, very close to the Loire River. It was Frédéric's grandfather who planted these vines more than 45 years ago in the lieu-dit "Champs Colesse." The surrounding environment defines these elegant and pure aromas. Fiery and wild like the Loire itself. Its discreet aging tames its distinctive character. With soil composed of clay and gravel, Racines reflects the power this terroir offers. All grapes are harvested by hand, and no insecticides are used on their vines, which are around fifty years old.

To accurately reveal the animalistic character of this vintage, the winemaker ages it for 24 months in amphorae. The yeasts are indigenous and the wine has a low sulfite content.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Domaine Frédéric Mabileau is a family-run estate based in Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil in France’s Loire Valley. Frédéric and Nathalie Mabileau established the modern domaine in 1991, initially farming just three hectares before expanding the estate to roughly 35 hectares across Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Bourgueil, Saumur, and Anjou. Cabernet Franc is at the heart of the domaine, alongside smaller plantings of Chenin Blanc.

The Mabileau philosophy centers on terroir, biodiversity, and low-intervention farming. The vineyards have been certified organic since 2007 and biodynamic through Biodyvin since 2018. In the cellar, the domaine emphasizes hand harvesting, indigenous-yeast fermentations, parcel-by-parcel vinification, and restrained intervention, with vessels such as amphorae used for certain cuvées to preserve the character of individual vineyards.

Following Frédéric Mabileau’s accidental death in 2020, the family has continued his work, with his son Rémy Mabileau overseeing the cellar and winemaking. The domaine remains deeply connected to its family vineyards, exemplified by Racines, a Bourgueil Cabernet Franc from a parcel planted by Frédéric’s grandfather around 1970. Today, the estate carries forward Frédéric’s vision of producing wines closely tied to the soils, vineyards, and traditions of the Loire.