Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil’s Domaine de la Lande is run by François Delaunay, the most recent generation in a long family line of this organic certified domaine. Their vineyards are located just north of Bourgueil’s town center, and mostly on clay topsoil with more root contact in the underlying tuffeau bedrock further up the hill. The quality of the fruit is well preserved through their élevage in large old French oak foudre and medium-sized barrels, and concrete. François’s are classic Loire Valley Cabernet Franc at their vin de garde finest: beautiful when young, and even more striking after decades in the bottle.