Etienne Courtois is now at the helm of the family domaine after his father Claude Courtois. He now tends 6 hectares of vines in Sologne (Loire) and crafts natural wines in the same way his father did. Racines is now the only cuvée made entirely by Claude Courtois. The wine is an assemblage dominated by Cabernet franc and Malbec with an addition of Cabernet Sauvignon and a plethora of other varieties such as Gamay and Pinot Noir. It underwent a long maceration and was left to age for 18 months in wooden barrels.
When I first opened I was both disappointed and pleased, because there was no sight of reduction and because the wine rather seemed muted. I drank one glass while preparing some burgers. After seeing no clear evolution I then chose a wider glass and waited. An hour after I drank my first glass it started to open up and reveal itself properly. Great. I drank the bottle in the course of 3-4 hours and it displayed a lot of aromatic complexity. At first it was more red-fruit forward and later evolved to a both black and red fruit profile with blueberries, black currants, plums, cherries but also earthy notes and black pepper with hints of herbal touches, constantly evolving. On the palate it was light with smooth tannins, incredible freshness followed by a good length. This had the energy and lightness of a poulsard with the taste of a Bordeaux. Very interesting. I think it’s a wine worth visiting at least once and if you ever come across this vintage I’d recommend letting it sit for at least another year or two. Paired well with burgers👍🏻
Vismal1
Great wine
eatmorebananabread
So delicious. Great producer that plays with long elevage times and the wines are always better for it.
Comfortable-West-109
One of the top loire red producers IMHO.
You drank this way to young. Racine needs at least 10 years, and will be optimal at 15.
And if you choose to drink this young again, decant it in a wide carafe for 5 /10 hours.
4 Comments
Etienne Courtois is now at the helm of the family domaine after his father Claude Courtois. He now tends 6 hectares of vines in Sologne (Loire) and crafts natural wines in the same way his father did. Racines is now the only cuvée made entirely by Claude Courtois.
The wine is an assemblage dominated by Cabernet franc and Malbec with an addition of Cabernet Sauvignon and a plethora of other varieties such as Gamay and Pinot Noir.
It underwent a long maceration and was left to age for 18 months in wooden barrels.
When I first opened I was both disappointed and pleased, because there was no sight of reduction and because the wine rather seemed muted.
I drank one glass while preparing some burgers. After seeing no clear evolution I then chose a wider glass and waited. An hour after I drank my first glass it started to open up and reveal itself properly.
Great. I drank the bottle in the course of 3-4 hours and it displayed a lot of aromatic complexity. At first it was more red-fruit forward and later evolved to a both black and red fruit profile with blueberries, black currants, plums, cherries but also earthy notes and black pepper with hints of herbal touches, constantly evolving.
On the palate it was light with smooth tannins, incredible freshness followed by a good length. This had the energy and lightness of a poulsard with the taste of a Bordeaux. Very interesting. I think it’s a wine worth visiting at least once and if you ever come across this vintage I’d recommend letting it sit for at least another year or two. Paired well with burgers👍🏻
Great wine
So delicious. Great producer that plays with long elevage times and the wines are always better for it.
One of the top loire red producers IMHO.
You drank this way to young. Racine needs at least 10 years, and will be optimal at 15.
And if you choose to drink this young again, decant it in a wide carafe for 5 /10 hours.
Enjoy your courtois !!
​
Cheers from a neighboor of his.