By Gina Trippi
Bourgueil? Before we turn to specifics of Bourgueil, let’s learn to pronounce this French wine! Phonetically, the word sounds something like this: boor-gay.
Now, what is this Bourgueil? Bourgueil is the appellation for red wines from the commune of the same name, and six others surrounding it, in the central Loire Valley, between the towns of Tours and Angers. Like Chinon, the better-known Cabernet Franc from Loire, Bourgueil claims its own territory in the valley.
Bourgueil wines are usually made solely from Cabernet Franc. To carry the highly regarded Bourgueil label, the wine must be made of at least 90 percent Cabernet Franc. Appellation law does allow up to 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Why the name Bourgueil? A monk is given credit for bringing Cabernet Franc to popularity in the 17th century. Abbot Breton, of Bourgueil Abbey, planted and tended his Cabernet Franc vines with such care that local vine-growers followed his lead and began producing what became the Loire Valley’s signature style of red wine.
The Cabernet Franc varietal thrives in this area because it is suited to this mild, maritime-influenced climate and free-draining soils. Bourgueil wines range from light-bodied, Beaujolais-like, fruit-driven styles to silky, mid-bodied wines with complex notes of undergrowth, spice and ripe berry fruit.
Two main types of soil are part of the Bourgueil terroir that make for excellent versions of Cabernet Franc. The gravelly, alluvial soils close to the banks of the Loire River generate lighter styles with aromas of red berries and licorice. The second type of soil—rich in the local tuffeau jaune, a yellowish, porous, sedimentary rock made of sand and fossils—results in richer, spicier wines with earthy aromas including leather and fur.
Formed during the Tortonian era 90 million years ago, tuffeau soil qualities draw excess water away from vine roots and hold reserves that stop the vines from shutting down entirely during drier periods.
One of the customer-favorite versions of Bourgeuil at Metro Wines is from Lamé-Delisle-Boucard. The 2021 Bourgueil is pure Cabernet Franc exclusively from vines more than 40 years of age. This undergoes fermentation in oak casks made from trees in the surrounding Tronçais forest. Invitingly ripe on the nose and tinged with earth, the wine is silky on the palate, gradually revealing its underlying minerality, and finishes with gentle and elegant tannins.
Founded in 1869, the winery has seen five generations of winegrowers. The family first bottled their wine for sale in 1947, something quite rare outside of the greatest estates in Burgundy and Bordeaux. Made in the traditional style, Boucard is suitable for aging.
Boucard shows a dense red and purple color in the glass. Concentrated floral aromas are surrounded by ripe, black raspberry with earth and citrus, characteristic of Bourgueil. The palate is dense, but balanced with deep black raspberry and cassis fruit, with chalky minerals in the finish. A distinctive style of Cabernet Franc, only Bourgueil is Bourgueil!
Gina Trippi is the co-owner of Metro Wines, 169 Charlotte Street in Asheville. Committed to the community, Metro Wines offers big-shop selection with small-shop service. Gina can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.575.9525.
