WHEN SOMMELIERS toss around words like “besotted” and “Holy Grail” to describe a wine, I take notice. When that wine turns out to be a Cabernet Franc from France’s Loire Valley and not some famous Bordeaux or grand cru Burgundy, I’m intrigued. And when it can’t be found on restaurant wine lists or retail store shelves, I get on a plane to check it out.

That’s how I came to visit Clos Rougeard, in the Saumur region of the Loire Valley, last month. Beloved by industry insiders and wine geeks the world over, the estate’s wines are the sort that sommeliers approach “on their knees,” a reverential professional told me.

Clos Rougeard is, in many ways, an unlikely candidate for a cult following. First, the Loire Valley has produced few expensive or sought-after wines compared with Bordeaux, Burgundy or even the Rhône Valley. Second, Clos Rougeard specializes in Cabernet Franc, a grape that many drinkers actively dislike, especially when it’s grown in the Loire, where it can take on a weedy, herbaceous note.

Image courtesy and full article can be found at source Wsj.com