Saumur-Champigny Loire Valley Red
The reds are exclusively produced from Cabernet Franc, the sovereign grape of the Loire Valley in the Angers region. It imparts a vibrant and crunchy fruitiness of blackcurrant, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries to the wine. Upon aeration, it unveils its full splendor and complexity, whether through its floral scents of peony and violet or its enticing spices of pepper, clove, and cinnamon. Thierry Germain has established a modern stylistic approach to Saumur-Champigny, which balances the correct ripeness of the Cabernet and their oak maturation.
The whites are crafted from Chenin, another typical grape variety that has added prestige to the Loire Valley. Grown in cold clay and silt soils, it delivers the pinnacle of its expression and concentrates its freshness and aromatic intensity. Exhibiting a floral, nearly vegetal nose, it presents a plethora of white and citrus fruits like pear, peach, lemon, and grapefruit. However, the freshness provides structure to the wine and ensures a crisp, precise, and pure tasting experience.
The Domaine des Roches Neuves has emerged as a new icon of the Loire, one of the vineyards that has managed to forge a new style within its appellation. More renowned for its elegance and subtlety, this domain is primarily the story of a passionate man, Mr. Thierry Germain.
In the 1990s, despite working in communications, the young Thierry Germain, then just 23 years old, could not deny his Bordeaux winemaking roots. Determined to reconnect with his core values, he decided in 1992 to purchase an old Loire estate dating back to the 19th century: the Domaine des Roches Neuves, located in Anjou.
Quickly, his red Saumur-Champigny cuvées, or his white Saumur cuvées, began to attract many admirers thanks to wines focused on very ripe fruit notes and well-defined aging. His work is valued, but Thierry Germain wants to go further and offer in his cuvées the indelible imprint of his work.
It was in the early 2000s when he became aware of the enormous potential of his terroir and the exceptional quality of his chalky subsoils made of tuffeau. Wanting to offer unique and characterful wines, he decided in 2002 to convert the 22 hectares of the vineyard to biodynamics (with the valuable advice of Gérard Gauby of the eponymous domain) in order to find in each grape the perfect expression of his terroir.
From then on, the domain completely changes the style of its wines. The reds become lighter, more elegant, with measured aging; as for the whites, they are fresher, more tense and open towards more purity and minerality.
Critics are unanimous in considering the Domaine des Roches Neuves as one of the best vineyards in France, at the pinnacle of Loire domains, having had one of the most impressive progressions in recent years.
Bettane & Desseauve 2019 (5*****Stars)
(…) The latest vintages are characterized by greater aromatic purity and textures of great refinement, thanks in particular to significant work done on the aging process. 2013 marked a qualitative and emotional turning point. In red, the domaine cuvée is fresh with supple tannins, while the warmer terroirs have a bit more depth. The mémoires cuvée is astonishingly silky. In white, the clos-romans aged in small oak barrels is remarkably crystalline and pure, while the insolite is superb in terms of maturity and indulgence.
Review of French Wines - Guide to the Best French Wines 2019 (3***Stars)
The charismatic Thierry Germain has defined a contemporary stylistic approach to Saumur-Champigny, balancing the perfect maturity of Cabernets with their oak aging in various containers, all while preserving an infused, floral, and crisp Loire Valley fruitiness. The enormous effort undertaken in the vineyards (biodynamically, with some ploughed by horse) is evident from the basic estate cuvée, full of pure and digestible fruit. The range is now impeccable, from the admirable Franc de Pied to La Marginale, so appealing and perfectly settled in its aging. Following the same path, the Chenin Blanc has built a distinct identity, with a refined maturity, tension and firmness, well expressed in the Insolite cuvée.
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