Roches Neuves Saumur Champigny '24

Thierry Germain arrived in Saumur from his native Saint-Émilion in the early 1990s, bringing with him a Bordelais understanding of Cabernet Franc, but quickly finding a very different expression of the grape in the limestone soils of the Loire. After training with the legendary Foucault brothers of Clos Rougeard, he fell in love with Domaine des Roches Neuves in Varrains, just five kilometers from Saumur, and took over the estate in 1991. Over the years, Thierry has steadily refined his approach in the vineyards, moving first toward organic farming and then into biodynamic viticulture, which has now been central to the domaine’s identity for well over a decade.

What makes Thierry so compelling is that, while he is always thoughtful and willing to experiment, the wines themselves never feel eccentric. His Cabernet Franc bottlings are pure, transparent, and deeply refined, showing exactly why Saumur-Champigny belongs in the same conversation as Chinon and Bourgueil when talking about the great terroirs for the variety. These are wines built on limestone, freshness, and precision rather than weight or extraction, and even the domaine’s entry-level bottlings carry that unmistakable Roches Neuves signature.

The 2024 Saumur-Champigny Rouge comes from sandy clay-limestone soils over chalky tuffeau subsoil. The fruit is harvested and sorted by hand, then fermented in stainless steel before aging for three to four months in stainless steel and wooden vats. The goal is not to build a big wine, but to preserve the energy, lift, and mineral snap that make young Cabernet Franc from Saumur so irresistible.

The result is a wine of real clarity and charm, marked by Thierry’s trademark elegance. There is fresh blackberry and dark cherry fruit, but also notes of forest floor, graphite, violet, and cool stone. Such a great food wine, I love it with everything from grilled duck breasts to Tandoori marinated lamb chops.