100% Cabernet Franc. Les Arboises is a subsection of the limestone-dominant Brézé hill. This is Guiberteau’s top red from a renowned red terroir. The monopole parcel was planted in 1957 on a rocky, chalky site and produces super-graceful and mineral expressions of Saumur. The fruit is fully destemmed and naturally fermented in concrete before resting for 18 months in a mixture of new, one, two, and three-year-old barrels. Guiberteau is using just one-fifth new oak these days (early releases used closer to 50%). He ages this cuvée for longer than his other reds—both in barrel and bottle—feeling this site’s more angular tannins require extra refinement.
Put simply, Les Arboises is emblematic of the style, structure and resonant depth of this producer’s boundary-pushing reds. It’s a tighter and more compact release than the 2018 below and one we think will need more time to unfurl. Right now, there’s a brooding, complex depth to the nose featuring macerated red fruits, earth, anise spice, a lovely leafy lift and just a whisper of reduction. The palate is just as impressive, with its long, tight structure filled with plump, juicy fruits and deep, mineral-flecked earth tones. It’s complex, assertive and tightly coiled; a wine that begs for air, a big glass and a hearty, meaty food match. It’s impressive now (especially after a 30-minute decant) but will be brilliant with another five to ten years in the cellar.