Featured Wine of the Week
'04 Olivier Cousin Anjou
October 16, 2007
’04 Olivier Cousin Anjou “Pur Breton” $16.99
We tasted Olivier Cousin’s wine a couple weeks ago. His bottle of Cabernet Franc “Pur Breton” could have been lost amongst other very good samples but it somehow stood out. We all thought it was attractive, interesting and more importantly: soulful. It illustrated perfectly the idea that biodynamically grown grapes add an extra dimension to a wine.
It is only by researching the winery on a French web-site that we discovered what a maverick Olivier really is: he has searched for gold, sailed oceans alone (which would probably explain the label of Olivier, looking very much like Bacchus, holding on to an anchor…or is it the other way around?) and finally returned to the family estate, located just south of Angers in the Loire Valley. With his return, Olivier brought his memory of how his grandfather worked the land. In effect, with the exception of a high pressure hose and the fork lift, the winery functions exactly as it did at the beginning of the 20th Century. All the work in the vineyard is done with the aid of two horses; no battery-powered or gas-powered engines are used. The estate is certified organic but it is also a member of Demeter which sets the standards for producing biodynamic products.
The work at the winery is as traditional as in the vineyard and workers jump into open vats to tread the freshly picked grapes with their bare feet. The must is than squeezed by a human powered press. No enzymes, no “designer” yeasts and most surprising of all: zero added sulfites. Rien, nada, nichts, not even a gram before bottling! So natural Olivier is, he has even transported barrels to customers via sailboat!
The wine itself is wild, with vivid aromas of poblano pepper, Cuban cigar smoke, red berries and cherries. It is unique and will certainly leave no one indifferent. Pair it with garlic sausage, paté, prosciutto, vegetable dishes and cheeses. While not necessary, a 20 minute decant will further open this other worldly wine.
