How do you say “cheers” in the Loire? A cab franc to taste…
Cheers! Salut! Salud! Tchin tchin! and now you can add… Trinch! I came across Trinch! the other day. What are it’s origins you might be asking? Well, since you asked, the origins of the word come from Old French, “trinquer”, or “toast” in English, which was corrupted into… tchin, tchin. Another way of wishing you health with every mouthful.
Loire Cab franc
But trinch is not only a drinking salutation, it’s also a cabernet franc from the Bourgueil appellation in the Loire Valley, an organic wine which is very low sulfur, only a minimal dose on bottling is done. Trinch! is made by Pierre and Catherine Breton. Their wines are in many Parisienne bistros and wine bars and they are among the best Loire Valley red wine makers. Pierre specializes in cab franc which seems only natural considering is surname is Breton, another word for cab franc in the local dialect.
The 2007 Trinch! is an easy going Frenchie, made to be drunk now, not later. I found it very approachable for a cab franc. Cab francs often need time in bottle before they can be drunk but not this one. The grapes for this wine are sourced from small vineyards and bottled unfiltered. It’s also vinified in stainless steel so that the pure fruit character of the juice is on show. Pierre calls this wine his “wine of fruit.”
I love the character of cabernet franc. It’s often accused of being harsh and tannic but this one was a fabulous balance of fruit and tannins. A beautiful purple beast with hints on violet of the rim, the nose was a bouquet of striking herbal notes, I detected a hint of bell pepper as well, very fresh and refreshing. A juicy wine, filling my mouth with ripe mulberry and berry fruit flavours, underlying it all, again the bell pepper and herbal tones heading off into the sunset. This is a great food wine, the tannins bite a little but they are enough to stand up to a bistro meal. Best served slightly chilled. Hangar steak, anyone?
Trinch! is available from Les Caves de Pyrenees.