Olivier Cousin ‘Le Franc’ Rouge 2020
Location: France, Loire, Anjou
Winemaker: Olivier Cousin
Grapes: Cabernet Franc
From the Importer Jenny and Francois: Olivier Cousin cultivates 12 hectares of vines in and around Martigne Briand, which is nestled in the fertile and generous Loire Valley. His vineyards are planted with Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau and Chenin Blanc. Since 2012 Olivier has passed on the production of Gamay, Grolleau, Chenin Blanc, and Pineau d’aunis to his son Baptiste. Olivier, in semi-retirement now, only works with Cabernet Franc, which was always his favorite grape to vinify. All of the wines Cousin crafts are certified biodynamic. He plows his vineyards with his horse Joker, and only uses indigenous yeasts and shuns enzymes, sugar and sulfites. Cousin crafts wines that celebrate the harmony that exists between man and nature. His hard work and understanding of the vines in his small Loire Valley vineyard represent some of the finest natural wines that are currently available in the United States.
‘Le Franc’ comes from some of Olivier’s oldest vines—65-year-old Cabernet Franc planted to black loam infused with deep beds of limestone. The grapes are hand-harvested, brought to the winery by a horse, destemmed and gently pressed. Only natural yeasts are used and the juice undergoes an extended maceration. Fermented and aged in a large wood tank (500 Liters) for 18 months.
Location: France, Loire, Anjou
Winemaker: Olivier Cousin
Grapes: Cabernet Franc
From the Importer Jenny and Francois: Olivier Cousin cultivates 12 hectares of vines in and around Martigne Briand, which is nestled in the fertile and generous Loire Valley. His vineyards are planted with Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau and Chenin Blanc. Since 2012 Olivier has passed on the production of Gamay, Grolleau, Chenin Blanc, and Pineau d’aunis to his son Baptiste. Olivier, in semi-retirement now, only works with Cabernet Franc, which was always his favorite grape to vinify. All of the wines Cousin crafts are certified biodynamic. He plows his vineyards with his horse Joker, and only uses indigenous yeasts and shuns enzymes, sugar and sulfites. Cousin crafts wines that celebrate the harmony that exists between man and nature. His hard work and understanding of the vines in his small Loire Valley vineyard represent some of the finest natural wines that are currently available in the United States.
‘Le Franc’ comes from some of Olivier’s oldest vines—65-year-old Cabernet Franc planted to black loam infused with deep beds of limestone. The grapes are hand-harvested, brought to the winery by a horse, destemmed and gently pressed. Only natural yeasts are used and the juice undergoes an extended maceration. Fermented and aged in a large wood tank (500 Liters) for 18 months.
Location: France, Loire, Anjou
Winemaker: Olivier Cousin
Grapes: Cabernet Franc
From the Importer Jenny and Francois: Olivier Cousin cultivates 12 hectares of vines in and around Martigne Briand, which is nestled in the fertile and generous Loire Valley. His vineyards are planted with Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau and Chenin Blanc. Since 2012 Olivier has passed on the production of Gamay, Grolleau, Chenin Blanc, and Pineau d’aunis to his son Baptiste. Olivier, in semi-retirement now, only works with Cabernet Franc, which was always his favorite grape to vinify. All of the wines Cousin crafts are certified biodynamic. He plows his vineyards with his horse Joker, and only uses indigenous yeasts and shuns enzymes, sugar and sulfites. Cousin crafts wines that celebrate the harmony that exists between man and nature. His hard work and understanding of the vines in his small Loire Valley vineyard represent some of the finest natural wines that are currently available in the United States.
‘Le Franc’ comes from some of Olivier’s oldest vines—65-year-old Cabernet Franc planted to black loam infused with deep beds of limestone. The grapes are hand-harvested, brought to the winery by a horse, destemmed and gently pressed. Only natural yeasts are used and the juice undergoes an extended maceration. Fermented and aged in a large wood tank (500 Liters) for 18 months.