Domaine des Roches Neuves 'Terres Chaudes' Saumur Champigny 2021

Description

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 region’s perfect balance of grape varietal, climate and terroir, which he considers one of the finest in France.

The vineyard is worked in a natural way with the goal of keeping the vine and the soil 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 unfined and unfiltered. Germain has garnered praise in the European press for his exciting wines, which are always filled with ripe, generous fruit and supple textures. Painstaking attention to detail: the grapes are selected at optimum maturity to create suave, velvety, plump wines.

The Terres Chaudes is more powerful than the Cuvée Domaine, this wine could easily age several years. The colour is dark-ruby, with purple highlights. The bouquet is marked by cassis and blackberries. The palate is dense, with fat fruit, a beautiful structure and fine, ripe tannins. A happy future for this wine which is beautifully balanced in nose and palate.