This wine comes to us from the Saumur appellation, which is perched about half an hour west of Chinon in the Loire Valley’s Anjou-Saumur sub-region. Saumur was cultivated as early as the fourth century under Saint Martin of Tours. This is an incredibly picturesque town, accented by magnificent castles including the famous Château de Saumur, which was constructed entirely out of the local tuffeau limestone. Most importantly though, Saumur is surrounded by some of the most historically important vineyards in the Valley. This appellation, along with the rest of the Loire, has battled the weather over the past few years, but this 2014 vintage is transpiring to be one for the history books. Although July and August were cool and fairly wet, September was blessed with sunny day after glorious sunny day. The most important month for maturation in the Loire, September delivered generous fruit while still maintaining perfectly balanced, bright acidity. Today’s example takes these perfect conditions to even greater heights thanks to the dedication of winemaker and vigneron, Romain Guiberteau.

 

The Guiberteaus have been a family of vignerons in Saumur for over a century. Romain’s great-grandfather, Clement, began buying up special parcels before the outbreak of World War I. His son, Robert Guiberteau, grew the family business and acquired choice parcels in the great terroir of Brézé. He also led the industry in more advanced production, served as the Mayor and founded the first cooperative in the area. His grandson, Romain, left law school in 1996 to return to his roots and take over the estate. Over the years, in his young but capable hands, the Domaine has reached its greatest height yet. Romain pulled selective vineyards out of the cooperative collective and converted to organic farming within the first year and he was ultimately granted organic certification in 2007. The Domaine’s rouge is derived from old vines of 100% Cabernet Franc that are about 60 years old. This wine is made from fruit sourced from the lower Les Arboises parcel on the famous hill of Brézé, known for the tuffeau limestone soils that dominate the distinct terroir as well as much of the local architecture. The remaining portion is provided by the Les Motelles parcel, which contributes sand, gravel and argile clay. Harvest is done manually and the sorting process is meticulous. The grapes are destemmed, fermented and aged in concrete tank, which allows the purity of the varietal and generosity of fruit to truly sing. When you taste this wine, the accolades heaped on Domaine Guiberteau will all become crystal clear—the quality of this wine simply cannot be overstated.