"Still contained by its youth and ageing, La Petite Cave 2018 is moving more towards a solar balance, less fresh but still retaining a seductive velvety texture. More than fifteen years of cellaring will reveal it." (Le Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France 2022 - RVF). A dense, deep wine, in a roasted style with black cherry and cocoa notes. The palate is both sanguine and refined, with a beautiful fatness that perfectly matches the powdery, racy tannins. This is a highly refined cuvée that is already very enjoyable when young. Great class for this cuvée of great terroir!
Features
Estate
Domaine Yannick Amirault
Cuvée
La Petite Cave
Vintage
2018
Designation
Bourgueil
Region
Loire
Grape varieties
100% Cabernet Franc, âge moyen des vignes : 50 ans
Terroirs
Sand and clay soils on limestone
Viticulture
Certified organic
Harvest
Manual
Winemaking
De-stemming with double grape sorting (no crushing), alcoholic fermentation in truncated wooden vats (5-week macerations).
Breeding
12 to 24 months in barrel
Alcohol content
13,5%
Organic
Yes
Tasting & pairing
Eye
Bright garnet-red
Nose
Ripe, almost roasted, with hints of black cherry and cocoa
Mouth
Sanguine and refined, fat and tannins, chalky finish, discreet and complex
Serve
AT 14-16°C
Open
1 hour before
Drink before
2028
Food and wine pairing
Enjoy with hare à la royale, red meats, game...
Domain Yannick Amirault
Bourgueil
Expert opinion
Bettane & Desseauve
Domain rated (2025 guide) 3*Stars (High-quality production, a benchmark in its sector)
About the domain :
Yannick and Benoît Amirault are perfectionist winegrowers who have naturally converted to organic methods. 19 hectares of Cabernet Franc, two-thirds in Bourgueil, the rest in Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, each with a good heritage of old vines.
Guide Hachette des vins
Domain rated (guide 2025) Award-winning wines (The wines of this producer are regularly awarded by the guide)
About the domain :
Active in Saint-Nicolas and Bourgueil, Yannick Amirault is one of the established names in these two appellations. His son Benoît now cultivates the estate's 19 hectares of organic vines.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Domain rated Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)
About the domain :
RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France
Wine rated (2022 guide) 93/100
Domaine rated (2025 guide) 2*Stars (These great estates, often blessed with fabulous terroirs, are must-haves which, because of their consistency and the excellence of their production, must be included in the cellars of discerning wine lovers).
About the wine:
Still restrained by its youth and ageing, La Petite Cave 2018 leans more towards a solar balance, less fresh but still retaining a seductive velvety texture. More than fifteen years of cellaring will reveal it.
About the domain :
Benoît joined the family domaine in Bourgueil in 2003 to continue the family adventure initiated by his father Yannick in 1997. The vineyards are divided between Bourgueil (two-thirds) and the neighboring Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil appellation. You can sense the winemakers' perfectionism and their desire to restore the expression of terroirs through very silky, civilized Cabernet Francs that still retain their bright fruit. The estate has been certified organic since 2009, and each year the wines gain in purity thanks to increasingly accurate vinification (truncated wooden vats, stoneware barrels and jars). The 2022 and 2023 delight us with their frank, clean expression and finesse.
Customer reviews
Customer rating
4/5
on 25 reviews
Note and review by M. REMY P. Published on 21/12/2020
promising but needs ageing, for the moment a little disappointing given the price; to be enjoyed again later. the score of 4 is in comparison with other Loire reds, but for the moment it would be more between 3 and 4 because of the high price in particular.
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Note and review by M. OLIVIER G. Published on 27/04/2024
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Note and review by M. JEAN-MICHEL P. Published on 15/08/2023
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Note and review by M. PHILIPPE G. Published on 24/07/2023
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Note and review by Mme CHRISTINE D. Published on 04/05/2023
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Note and review by M. MICHEL H. Published on 16/03/2023
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Note and review by M. PHILIPPE W. Published on 13/03/2023
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Note and review by M. GERARD H. Published on 12/02/2023
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Note and review by M. ALAIN G. Published on 28/01/2023
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Note and review by M. DOMINIQUE A. Published on 14/06/2022
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