Domaine Dozon is a historic estate situated in Ligré, in the southern sector of the Chinon appellation. In 2013, after training alongside iconic vigneron François Chidaine in Montlouis-sur-Loire, native son Éric Santier took over the domaine from retiring winemaker Jean-Marie Dozon. Santier transitioned the historic holdings toward certified organic farming and minimal intervention in the cellar. "Le Saut au Loup" is the domaine’s historic crown jewel—a celebrated, south-facing monopole vineyard perched on the slopes of Ligré, rooted in flinty clay (silex) over yellow Turonian tuffeau limestone bedrock.

The 2022 vintage yielded beautifully ripe Cabernet Franc with superb phenolic maturity. Hand-harvested with strict sorting, the fruit was destemmed and fermented spontaneously with native yeasts in temperature-controlled concrete vats, followed by extended gentle maceration and maturation in concrete tanks and seasoned neutral oak barrels. It delivers a quintessential expressions of classic tuffeau-and-silex Cabernet Franc: dark raspberries, wild blackberries, crushed gravel, graphite, violets, and sweet bell pepper/bay leaf herbal spice, supported by fine-grained, chalky tannins and vibrant limestone freshness.

Why You’ll Love it

• A historic single-vineyard monopole parcel featuring flinty clay over Turonian tuffeau limestone.

• Masterfully crafted by Éric Santier, combining traditional Chinon structure with refined modern organic precision.

• Expresses wild bramble fruit, crushed flint, violet perfume, and dried herbs without green, aggressive tannins.

• Exceptional food-pairing versatility backed by mouthwatering acidity and fine, persistent minerality.

How To Serve It

• Serve at cool room temperature between 58°F and 62°F (a light cellar chill highlights its floral lift).

• Decant for 30 to 45 minutes to let the flinty mineral and botanical spice layers unfold.

• Pour into burgundy stems to gather its expansive violet and red berry perfume.

• Pair with roasted pork loin with rosemary, herb-crusted rack of lamb, duck confit, or goat cheeses like Sainte-Maure de Touraine.