Sanzay Saumur-Champigny “Les Dares” 17

Sanzay’s wines are pure Cabernet Franc, and fit modern Loire style — small batch, organic, limited oak, concerned with balance and freshness rather than extraction and muscle. They use all wild yeasts, neither fine nor filter, and produce complex, natural expressions of the charming central Loire.

The vines here are nearly 60 years old, giving small yields and very intense fruit. This cuvée spends more than a year in barrel, and the resulting wine is serious, elegant, and ageworthy. We’d give this 2-3 years before trying it, and would love to try it in 10. The oak in the 2017 has already started to melt into the fruit, adding hints of mint and thyme to the dark, masculine fruit.