Couly-Dutheil
Clos de l'Olive Chinon Cabernet Franc
Chinon, Touraine, Loire Valley, France
1990 | Cabernet Franc
Gave this a week to come around, it sort of did, but was hopeful for a more engaging experience than we received.
1990 | Cabernet Franc
Gave this a week to come around, it sort of did, but was hopeful for a more engaging experience than we received.
A fine vintage for this. Nose smells like very fine St. Estephe but lighter. Olives (duh), moss tree bark, some cassis, sweet berries, beautiful. So fragrant and has layers of complexity. A 9.6 nose. Truly wonderful. Palate is so velvety, elegant yet substantial and with world class structure and length. This is easily a 50 year wine. It needs a decade and it’s already 12 years old. It’s delicious but the structure is dominating now. The finish is like 2 minutes and has a Pauillac in a good vintage fruit soak and the tannins are just amazing. But so so young. Needs mega hours open. Let’s see.
24 hour update. So much more integrated. Tannins are there. But velvety and meaty. Elegant, sweet and deep. 9.5 to 9.6. Stunning.
A fine vintage for this. Nose smells like very fine St. Estephe but lighter. Olives (duh), moss tree bark, some cassis, sweet berries, beautiful. So fragrant and has layers of complexity. A 9.6 nose. Truly wonderful. Palate is so velvety, elegant yet substantial and with world class structure and length. This is easily a 50 year wine. It needs a decade and it’s already 12 years old. It’s delicious but the structure is dominating now. The finish is like 2 minutes and has a Pauillac in a good vintage fruit soak and the tannins are just amazing. But so so young. Needs mega hours open. Let’s see.
24 hour update. So much more integrated. Tannins are there. But velvety and meaty. Elegant, sweet and deep. 9.5 to 9.6. Stunning.
Slamming nose, cigar, mint, tobacco, green olive, so complex, perfumed and just gorgeous. Really immaculate. So so tertiary and just a joy to smell. Hints of mushrooms. Beautiful pure fruit and heavenly velvety tannins. So suave and refined while also having like a micro hint of rusticity. Amazing stuff. Gorgeous balance and lovely red fruits. Textured and so deep. This is one of the best old Couly’s I’ve had from just an ok vintage.
Slamming nose, cigar, mint, tobacco, green olive, so complex, perfumed and just gorgeous. Really immaculate. So so tertiary and just a joy to smell. Hints of mushrooms. Beautiful pure fruit and heavenly velvety tannins. So suave and refined while also having like a micro hint of rusticity. Amazing stuff. Gorgeous balance and lovely red fruits. Textured and so deep. This is one of the best old Couly’s I’ve had from just an ok vintage.
Jul 9th, 2020The olive is the figeac to the echo’s cheval Blanc. Lovely nose. Reminds me of St. Estephe. Black olive, forest floor, spice, cherry fruit, plum, mineral and earth. Just so authentic and what one wants. Palate is juicy and ripe and always with the wonderful structure that enables these wines to age so well. It’s silky yet substantial with terrific purity and a wonderful core of fruit. Really ripe and silky tannins and just brilliant texture. So dense and velvety, with brilliant freshness and just that hint of rusticity which is what defines the character of the Clos de L’Olive. A great wine and one of my favorite Chinons.
The olive is the figeac to the echo’s cheval Blanc. Lovely nose. Reminds me of St. Estephe. Black olive, forest floor, spice, cherry fruit, plum, mineral and earth. Just so authentic and what one wants. Palate is juicy and ripe and always with the wonderful structure that enables these wines to age so well. It’s silky yet substantial with terrific purity and a wonderful core of fruit. Really ripe and silky tannins and just brilliant texture. So dense and velvety, with brilliant freshness and just that hint of rusticity which is what defines the character of the Clos de L’Olive. A great wine and one of my favorite Chinons.
Jul 7th, 2019Lovely nose. Olive as the name suggests, blackberry, herbs, tobacco and smoke. Smells like Graves. Palate is ripe, rich and balanced. Really terrific balance. Velvety and elegant tannins and lovely freshness and roundness. Young but not inaccessible. In 5 years will slay some dragons.
Lovely nose. Olive as the name suggests, blackberry, herbs, tobacco and smoke. Smells like Graves. Palate is ripe, rich and balanced. Really terrific balance. Velvety and elegant tannins and lovely freshness and roundness. Young but not inaccessible. In 5 years will slay some dragons.
Apr 14th, 2019
Walked up to the top of this vineyard to see the 100+ year vines. Was privileged to taste the 1970 and the 1989 vintages with Pierre and Bertrand Couly. 1970 held its own and showed the terroir well next to the muscular 1989.
Walked up to the top of this vineyard to see the 100+ year vines. Was privileged to taste the 1970 and the 1989 vintages with Pierre and Bertrand Couly. 1970 held its own and showed the terroir well next to the muscular 1989.
Oct 8th, 2018
Acidity still bright and a surprising amount of tannin left. The Franc jalapeño is showing for sure but purple and red fruits aren’t lost. This wine could still use some food!
Acidity still bright and a surprising amount of tannin left. The Franc jalapeño is showing for sure but purple and red fruits aren’t lost. This wine could still use some food!
Jul 10th, 2018Classic Chinon nose. Wet leaves, earth, herbaciousness, leather, feral, hay, olives as the name implies, cassis, mint and tree bark. So complex. Aged. Classic classic stuff. Palate is silky and sweet with incredible freshness and acidity. Elegant and tart with a red currant like sweetness. A barely type of red fruited sweetness. Very elegant and refined Olive. Juicy and bright. Tastes younger than its age. Wonderful.
Classic Chinon nose. Wet leaves, earth, herbaciousness, leather, feral, hay, olives as the name implies, cassis, mint and tree bark. So complex. Aged. Classic classic stuff. Palate is silky and sweet with incredible freshness and acidity. Elegant and tart with a red currant like sweetness. A barely type of red fruited sweetness. Very elegant and refined Olive. Juicy and bright. Tastes younger than its age. Wonderful.
1 person found it helpfulOct 5th, 2020Love the olive. This wine always has major Graves vibes. Sick nose of cassis, kirsch, tweed, old books, minerals and mashed violets. Palate is as expected very young but elegant, balanced and very pure. Awesome core of fruit and so juicy. Very refined. Terrific stuff. Needs 2-3 hours and 10 years but lovely to sip slowly tonight with a sirloin. Ripe but substantial tannins and just gorgeous purity. Terrific freshness. Really well made.
Love the olive. This wine always has major Graves vibes. Sick nose of cassis, kirsch, tweed, old books, minerals and mashed violets. Palate is as expected very young but elegant, balanced and very pure. Awesome core of fruit and so juicy. Very refined. Terrific stuff. Needs 2-3 hours and 10 years but lovely to sip slowly tonight with a sirloin. Ripe but substantial tannins and just gorgeous purity. Terrific freshness. Really well made.
1 person found it helpfulSep 13th, 2020
I’ve enjoyed several of their whites but this was my first encounter with a Red from Couly-Dutheil.
It will for sure not be my last....
IMHO not that far behind Clos Rougeard for a fraction of the price.
I’ve enjoyed several of their whites but this was my first encounter with a Red from Couly-Dutheil.
It will for sure not be my last....
IMHO not that far behind Clos Rougeard for a fraction of the price.