The diverse soils of Chinon are capable of producing a wide range of Cabernet Franc styles, from the joyful fruit of sandy parcels to richly structured and age-worthy wines from rocky limestone soils. Situated between these two extremes is Cobalt which comes from a single plot of Cabernet Franc located 8 km south of Chinon. Here the sandy soils are underpinned with clay-limestone giving the wine, especially in Pauline Lair’s hands, a forthright fruitiness and silky tannic structure which could be nothing other than classically Chinon. But do not expect to see mention of that on the label because, as is the case with all her other wines, she prefers to work outside the appellation.
