2017 Anjou, Cuvée Violette, Clau de Nell, Loire

The 2017 Anjou Violette is a deep and intensely fruity but a bit volatile Cabernet blend on the nose, with blackberry and leafy aromas. Full-bodied, pure, fresh and tannic on the nose. Silky, intense and juicy on the palate, this is a fresh and stimulating bitter, fresh and tensioned Cabernet blend with kumquat aromas on the finish. Tart, a bit drying. Tasted at the domaine in June 2021.Located 24 kilometres west of Saumur in Ambillou-Château in the very east of the Anjou appellation and almost bordering the Saumur AC, the 10-hectare Domaine Clau de Nell, purchased by Anne Claude Leflaive and her husband Christian in 2008 and today managed by winemaker (and shareholder) Sylvain Potin, offers a small but fine range of white and red wines from one block with a homogenous soil of clay, silex and sandstone, the latter gives the wines their characteristic energy and tension. The organically farmed, south-facing and wind-exposed vineyards are about 100 meters above sea level and are surrounded by forests, grassland, grain fields and a tree farm, which gives a large natural diversity and protection against pollution.Drink 2023 - 2040Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate (October 2021)