Château Belloy 'Les Canon Du' Canon-Fronsac 2021

Less austere than left-bank Bordeaux. Plum, cocoa, tobacco. The friendlier side of the appellation.

Château Belloy sits at Saint-Michel-de-Fronsac, near the river town of Libourne on Bordeaux's right bank. Les Canon Du comes off the estate's best parcels. It blends Merlot with Cabernet Franc, the classic pairing of the appellation.

The winemaking aims at freshness rather than weight. Fermentation happens in concrete, which keeps the aromatics bright, before the wine finishes in French oak. The Cabernet Franc shows itself in a fresh, lightly herbal finish that keeps the fruit honest.

Canon-Fronsac wines like this drink well young. Pour it with roast meats, mushroom dishes, or a cheese board, and give it thirty minutes open first.