Cabernet d'Anjou is the appellation specifically reserved for rose Anjou wines made from the 'Cabernet' grapes – a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Fruit-driven and more complex than typical rose wines, Cabernet d'Anjou wines are associated with aromas of strawberry, raspberry, roses and even a hint of white pepper on the finish – the trademark of Cabernet Franc. The wines are frequently off-dry or even semi-sweet, but balanced acidity and good tannic structure make them not only more age-worthy, but also more appealing than their Rose d'Anjou counterparts.
The western Loire Valley's Anjou district has a second varietal appellation, Anjou Gamay, which produces exclusively red wines (Cabernet d'Anjou covers only roses).
A Cabernet d'Anjou wine can originate from any one (or several) of the district's 150 communes, stretching from Saumur in the east to Champtoceaux in the west. This area lies on the dividing line between the carboniferous soils of the Armorican Massif and the whiter, limestone-rich soils of the southern Paris Basin.
Cabernet d'Anjou wines may be sold as 'Primeur' or 'Nouveau' – a much fruitier style of wine and almost entirely free of tannins, as a result of its fermentation using carbonic maceration. Under official appellation law, to warrant this title the wines may not be released before the 38th day preceding the third Thursday of November of the year of harvest.
