Brett happens

Saumur-Champigny 2011, Domaine des Roches Neuves (Thierry Germain) ($18.80, 10689622)
100% Cabernet Franc from biodynamically farmed vines averaging 25 years old.  Manually harvested and sorted. Fermented in stainless steel  tanks at 16 to 22ºC (61 to 72ºF). Around a third of the must is cold-macerated for three days at 10ºC (50ºF). Matured on the lees in stainless steel tanks and wood barrels for three to four months with no added sulphur. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 13% ABV.
Quite the nose: cherry, plum, flint, humus, sarsaparilla, flowers (violet? daffodil?) and stems. Supple, juicy and tart with an almost Burgundian texture. Very dry. The red fruit is shot through with dark minerals and framed by a fine tannic astringency. There’s a faint bitter note on the clean finish. Refreshing and food-friendly, though a shade too light to make an ideal pairing for chicken stewed in vinegar (the search continues). A better bet would be braised beef or pork in a less assertive sauce. Hamburgers and kefta kebabs might work too.