21715 customer reviews

Domaine Yannick Amirault - La Petite Cave 2018

Bourgueil|Red wine|Organic

4.1/5 (28 customers)

93/100

RVF

Cabernet Franc

complex

ripe fruit

game

“Still restrained by its youth and aging, the 2018 La Petite Cave leans more toward a sunny balance—less fresh, yet retaining an alluringly velvety texture. More than fifteen years of aging will bring out its full potential.” (Le Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France 2022 - RVF). A dense, deep wine with a toasty style centered on black cherry and cocoa. The palate is both full-bodied and refined, with a lovely richness that perfectly complements the powdery, elegant tannins. This cuvée displays remarkable refinement and is already a delight to drink in its youth. A truly classy cuvée from a great terroir!

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21715 reviews

-20€

Starting at €99 on your first order

Estate

Domaine Yannick Amirault

Vintage

La Petite Cave

Vintage

2018

Designation

Bourgueil

Region

Loire

Grape Varieties

100% Cabernet Franc, âge moyen des vignes : 50 ans

Regions

Soils composed of sand and clay over limestone

Viticulture

Certified Organic

Grape Harvest

Manuals

Wine Production

Destemming with double sorting of the grapes (without crushing), alcoholic fermentation in truncated-cone wooden vats (5-week maceration)

Livestock Farming

12 to 24 months in barrels

Alcohol content

13,5%

Organic

Yes

Eye

Garnet-colored, brilliant

Nose

Ripe, almost roasted, with notes of black cherry and cocoa

Palate

Vibrant and refined, full-bodied with tannins, a chalky finish—subtle and complex

Serve

At 14-16°C

Open

1 hour before

Drink before

2028

Food and Wine Pairings

Enjoy it with hare à la royale, red meats, game…

More information at Domaine Yannick Amirault

More information at Bourgueil

Bettane & Desseauve

Rated estate (2026 guide): 3*Stars (High-quality production that serves as a benchmark in its sector)

About the estate:

Yannick and Benoît Amirault are perfectionist winemakers who made a natural transition to organic farming. They cultivate 19 hectares of Cabernet Franc, two-thirds of which are in Bourgueil and the rest in Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, with a rich heritage of old vines in each area.

Guide Hachette des vins

Rated estate (2026 guide) Award-winning wines (This producer's wines regularly receive awards from the guide)

About the estate:

With vineyards in Saint-Nicolas and Bourgueil, Yannick Amirault is one of the most reliable names in these two appellations. His son Benoît now cultivates the estate’s 19 hectares using organic methods.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

Estate rated "Recommended" (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker—The Wine Advocate)

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide to the Best Wines of France

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

Wine rated (2022 guide) 93/100

Rated Estate (2026 Guide) 2*Stars (These exceptional estates, often boasting fabulous terroirs, are must-haves that, thanks to the consistency and excellence of their wines, deserve a place in the cellars of discerning wine lovers)

About the wine:

Still restrained by its youth and aging, the 2018 La Petite Cave leans more toward a sunny balance—less fresh, yet retaining an alluringly velvety texture. More than fifteen years of aging will bring out its full potential.

About the estate:

Benoît arrived at the family estate in Bourgueil in 2003 to continue the family venture started by his father, Yannick, in 1997. Two-thirds of the vineyard is located in Bourgueil, with the remainder in the neighboring appellation of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. You can sense the winemakers’ perfectionism and their commitment to expressing the terroirs through Cabernet Francs that are silky smooth and refined, yet retain vibrant fruit. The estate has been certified organic since 2009, and the wines gain in purity each year thanks to increasingly precise winemaking techniques (truncated-cone wooden vats, barrels, and stoneware jars). The 2022 and 2023 vintages delight us with their frank, clean expression and finesse.

Customer Rating

4.1/5

based on 28 reviews

Review by Mr. REMY P. Published on 12/21/2020

Promising but needs to age; a bit disappointing for now given the price; worth trying again later. The rating of 4 is relative to other Loire reds, but for now it would be somewhere between 3 and 4, particularly because of the high price.