Saumur-Champigny 2005 Tasting Notes

Saumur-Champigny 2003 

Partners’ wine this year is from the very hot, yet excellent 2003 vintage.  The Loire Valley escaped the worst effects of the canicule (heatwave), and enough rain fell at the right times to ensure that the harvested grapes were beautifully ripe, in perfect condition, and with enough acidity to produce a ‘once in a lifetime’ vintage.

Deep garnet in colour with an expressive nose of red fruits, this wine is deliciously smooth and easy to drink.  Try it on its own served just below room temperature, or slightly chilled in the summer, when it is the perfect partner to cold meats and summer salads.  Its soft tannins also make it good with roasts, especially lamb and beef.  

Like all good Loire reds made from the Cabernet Franc grape, it will also keep well and develop more complexity in bottle if carefully cellared. The 2003 vintage for red Loire wines is now universally accepted as one of the best, if not the best ever. 1990 (the very first wine we offered back in 1992) was outstanding and it has provided fabulous drinking for the last 12 years - and would no doubt go on doing so for many more - if there were enough bottles left!  Drink the 2003 now or cellar it - either way it will provide you with delicious drinking.