Paul Buisse Saumur Champigny Rouge 2007


While travelling through France, one of the biggest task on my mind was to taste some wines that I would normally not have the opportunity to taste back in Singapore. Having a rather tight budget also did allow me to be a litte bit more exploratory and forgiving in my choice, so in a nice little wine shop, I did snag a bargain wine from the Loire Valley for €3.75 for a half bottle of red! While the Loire valley is more famous for their smoky whites from the Chenin & Muscadets, they make very decent red wines from the Cabernet Francs & in some districts blended with its sister Cabernet Sauvignon.



Saumur Champigny is a separate Appellation east of Saumur. Established in the 1950s together with Saumur, this district is known for making drinkable & value reds from the Cabernet Franc & Sauvignon and to a lesser extent Pineau d'Aunis.

TASTING NOTES

APPEARANCE
A dark ruby red with clear rims & a deep core. Tears are surprisingly obvious with a thick syrup texture. Very youthful looking.

NOSE
A strong redcurrant & berry perfume with pretty prominent portpourri of dried thyme, fresh cinnemon & dried wood. Very interesting. There are hints of subtle minerals...wet granite & limestone do start to appear after some swirling.

PALATE
Medium bodied with sweet red berries dominanting the flavor. Surprisingly well behaved tannins for a young wine. Relatively little structure to talk about, but it does finish off nicely with a decent cherry tannin.

CONCLUSION
This wine was made ready to drink and perhaps we should listen to it, the light tannin structure leaves little room for bottle aging and perhaps will lose its bite after 2-3 years. But its a wonderful simple wine to appreciate with chicken or with old cheese.