Lame Delisle Bouchard Bourgueil Prestige 2017

 Cabernet Franc in its poised & sinuous middle age.

Bourgueil, with its mosaic of gravel, sand, and Tuffeau limestone, has always produced Cabernet Franc that walks the line between structure and tenderness. The Lame Delisle Boucard estate is an old-school bastion of the region — long fermentations, large, old foudres, and an unwavering belief that patience is still the best technology. What emerges from this traditionalist approach is a wine that rewards patience, and the 2017 is now pitch-perfect.

There’s a moment in the life of Loire Cabernet Franc when the wine seems to exhale — when the angularity of youth softens into something quieter, wiser, and more generous. The 2017 vintage sits precisely in that pocket. Eight years on, it has reached the kind of maturity that feels like settling into its true voice.

In the glass, the fruit has shifted from the bright snap of blackcurrant and raspberry to something deeper: mulberry, dried cherry, and the faintest whisper of stewed plum. The edges have melted into a supple, savory rhythm — tobacco leaf, graphite, forest floor after rain. The tannins, once strict, are now silken, guiding the wine rather than policing it. Everything feels integrated, fully composed — a portrait of Cabernet Franc at perfect maturity: not tired nor fading, just beautifully, wholly aligned.

For Loire countryside pairings, think rustic and regional: rillettes from Tours, roasted rabbit with mustard, and slow-cooked lentils du Berry. It’s also beautiful with chèvre from Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, a simple omelette with herbs, or a pot of braised mushrooms over buttered potatoes. However you enjoy it, this cellar-aged wine sings!