Thiery Germain Domaine Des Roches Neuves Saumur Champigny

Serious wines are produced at this estate run by the charismatic Thierry Germain. His approach is closer to a Burgundy wine-maker than a typical Loire producer. This 50-acre domaine, situated in a superb viticultural location in the appellation of Saumur-Champigny, has been a winery since 1850. Germain, from a long line of Bordeaux winemakers, arrived here in 1991, attracted by the regions perfect balance of grape varietal, climate and 'terroir', which he considers one of the finest in France.

Cabernet Franc,

The vineyard is worked in a natural way with the goal of keeping the vine and the soil (Sandy, clay and limestone) at its healthiest and Thierry has become a fully-fledged advocate of biodynamics.

The harvest is manual, selecting grapes at their very ripest level. Vinification is handled in small batches with bottling un-fined and unfiltered.

Fresh Cabernet Franc, ideal for chilling with fresh chops cooked over coals! The basic Cuvee Domaine is garnet with purple tints, exhibits lively aromas of irises, violets and red fruits, a balanced and ripe palate, harmonious and full and a smoky finish with subtle tannins. A cool and delicious natural red, the type of wine you drink bucket loads.

Nolan - I LOVE Cab Franc. It is known, ask any of my collegues. Thierry Germain is one of the undesputed kings of Cab Franc in the Loire valley and the only reason I don't drink more of this is because it is not cheap, this wine for me belongs in weekend treat budget instead of a casual Thursday night budget. Other than its evident quality, I think I mainly love this wine because it is perfect with two of my favourite things, drinking in the sun and BBQ. One thing I've come to realise is the sheer quality of wine you get for the price you pay in the Loire Valley. Yes a lot of it is in a medium to premium price tag, but for what you're getting in the Loire, you'd be paying a significantly higher price from other regions in France for a similar or lesser quality wine. Drink more Cab Franc, VIVE LA LOIRE!

Nolan - Text from the Spotlight On French Red Wines & Their Global Influences blog

For our traditional French style, we head out to the Loire Valley commune of Saumur Champigny. This is a red wine appellation in a sea of white wine production. The majority of the crop is Cab Franc with a small amount Cab Sauv and Pineau d’Aunis also grown.

The key feature to the success of Saumur as a wine region is a low plateau of tuffeau, (a yellowish metamorphic rock, distinctive of the central Loire region), which rises up at the eastern edge of the town of Saumur and continues almost uninterrupted for seven miles to the village of Candes Saint-Martin, just east of Montsoreau. This sandy tuffeau is porous and helps to naturally regulate the water supply in the area. The rock absorbs excess water during wet seasons, retaining it for use during drier periods. Vines planted on tuffeau benefit from the free draining soil, adding concentration to the berries, but they also do not suffer from water stress.

The Loire valley is a hotbed of organic and biodynamic viticulture. In areas such as Saumur, this is easier to practice than in other appellations because of the benefits brought by the tuffeau. Biodynamics entails a holistic, ecological approach to grape-growing, treating the vineyard as a single, self-sustaining living ecosystem. Biodynamics completely avoids synthetic chemicals and goes beyond traditional organic farming by utilizing natural preparations, promoting biodiversity, and timing vineyard tasks such as pruning and harvesting,  to lunar and cosmic cycles. One such example is the use of sprays containing a garlic solution, this is sprayed over the vines as a repellent to insects who would munch on the leaves. Thiery Germain of Domaine Des Roches Neuves is a practitioner of biodynamics.

Due to the minimal intervention, some biodynamic wines can be, as I would describe them, feral, with odd aromas caused by a yeast called Brettanomyces, giving an aroma commonly found in scrumpy cider. The acidity can be unbalanced and sometimes volatile. Thiery’s wines are not like this. They are clean and vibrant.

This delicious Cabby F has lively aromas of irises, violets and red fruits, a balanced and ripe palate, harmonious and full textured with a smoky finish and subtle tannins. A cool and delicious “natural” red, the type of wine you can drink by the bucket load.

The Loire Valley was once the playground of the French aristocracy, so for food pairings, if you can get your hands on some wild boar, make it so! Since we ate all the boar in this country centuries ago, instead head to your local butcher and get some good quality swine. This fresh Cabernet Franc is ideal for chilling and chinning with fresh chops cooked over coals! For the vegetarian, the savoury elements of a Loire Cab Franc makes this ideal for pairing with ratatouille.