Gold medal winner being given away by old Somerfield stores making way for new Co Op lines.

I hate French Connection. Their wines are dilute and worse than Blason. Their ' you can trust us our name is a sign of quality ' sales spin is even more annoying than the wines.

This though defies belief. No mention of the grapes but i'm guessing cabernet franc as it has the same chalky minerality as a 100% CF rose. This though has a lovely pinot like gamyness on the finish.

Normal price is £5.99 and it's very cheap at that price. I would pay upwards of a tenner for a Burgundy that tasted like this.

Stunning truly stunning. I have 13 bottles

That's right, it is cabernet franc. Good one's last for years, good laying down potential.

£2.99 is a terrific price for a half decent Saumur Champigny. Hmmnn, vintage '08 already turning gamey ? Cheap ones can be hard, a little green, and over savoury !

Goose, Q. how long do you give this wine in the rack ? 13 x Loire cab franc - that's pretty damn unusual for you. Have you got gifts and birthdays lined up as well ? In the trad taller shoulderless Saumur Pigny bottle with the glass embossed crest near the neck ?

I will call a friend to check out a larger Somerfield store on the Berks / Hants borders for stock.

Wo betide you if it's rubbish

Anyone notice this forum running like a slug tonight ?

Dunc,

If drinking blind I would have guessed Sancerre pinot with some bottle age. It's quite light, the nutty chalk is very evident and it's far more gamy than any sub £10 Burgundy that i've tasted.

We will give some away as thank yous to friends and neighbours who do us the odd favour. But mostly I will be experimenting with various foods to see what it matches best with.

It's good enough to give as a gift especially as it has the gold sticker on the front but I can't bring myself to wrap something that cost £3.

No idea how long the wine will last. I can never judge these things.

Yes, typical Loire bottle with crest high up near the base of the neck. Touraine sb usually comes in bottles like this.

French Connection Classics Saumur Champigny 2008 is made by Eric Laurent, the gifted winemaker at the Cave de Saumur, an impressively forward-looking, quality-focused co-operative. Originally from Pinot Noir country, Laurent’s Burgundian sensibility is perfectly attuned to Cabernet Franc, capturing this variety’s aroma, fruit and freshness, together with its structure. Bright deep crimson with purple flashes, a perfumed nose and palate, it shows fresh, well-defined crushed raspberry with juicy red cherry and blackcurrant fruit and a cool lead pencil note to the finish. There’s an attractive coal dust edge to its fine powdery tannins.

A really good example of Loire Cabernet Franc from a tip top vintage, it won a Gold Medal at this year’s International Wine Challenge and picked up the International Cabernet Franc Trophy. You’ll find it on promotion in selected Co-operative stores between 4 – 19 January 2010 at £5.99 (normally £8.99)

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

Will try this, any idea how long the current promo lasts?

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Yep, Im still here.

I had a glass last night with steak. Lovely.

I cannot believe how nice this is compared to any sub £10 pinot that i've had.

It's not an offer, GK. It's a clearance. My nearest 4 CoOps are sold out. I hope they will stock the 09 upon release. But I doubt it. I will look out for wines from this region at other wine merchants although the tasting notes on here and Dunc's comment suggest that the wines are inconsistant.

But then...what French wine making region isn't.

Alsace gewurz aside.

Ah, that explains it, thought it must be either a wind up or a winding up

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Yep, Im still here.

The '09 is on offer in Mozzys, £4.99, 100% Cab Franc, IWC Silver winner.

Grabbed one bottle to try.

Excellent news GK, Goose we never found the Saum champig in August.

GK - Thanks for keeping your eyes peeled....what would we do without you ?

The '09 will be better and a bit fuller than normal, it may need a bit more time to complex-itself-up. '09 Sancerres (blanc) are a tad simple at the mo, and this of course takes longer. Nevertheless, let us know PDQ if you can. Ripe Loire cab franc can be easydrinking now and pretty damn interesting later. There might be a furry and chalky finish on that franc at the mo, a tad tart possibly, depends on who's cooking it up, but not expected on the well ripenned '09 .....don't freak though, that furry or over chalky feel goes with more evo.

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Duncan

Will do Duncs, although I may not get around to tasting it for a couple of weeks, off on hols next week and I have the house to myself this weekend as the family are heading off on Friday eve.

The whole house to myself for the whole weekend...

I will be opening something special and not washing.

Right ! I'm on the way. I've got the parsnip crisps and the women. We're kooking forward to something special....P.S...What's washing please?

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

I was hoping someone would've tried the 08 as I really wanted a more qualified second opinion.

Fur is spot on, Dunc. The chalk was a little furry. But there was a certain gameyness to balance it.

I would have guessed a lightish Sancerre pinot.

Anyone who says what do I know about red wine gets a slap off Bacchus.

G

How did you know that I am a slapper???

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

Head is a little tender this morning, out for Indian last night at my fave bring-your-own booze curry house. Its funny how quick a bottle of Riesling goes down with poppadoms, it barely made it past the starter......

Opened last night. My wife, who generally only drinks white wine, liked this. I thought it dry and neutral with just a squeeze of bitter cherry. Another Cab Franc that tastes almost nothing like Cab Franc. Incredibly dull stuff.

If I can find the receipt its going back.

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Yep, Im still here.