Frantz Saumon, Montlouis sur Loire
AOC: Montlouis, Touraine, Vin de France
Varieties: Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Menu Pineau, Romorantin, Gamay, Cot
Viticulture: Organic certified
Terroir: Tuffeau, Limestone, Clay with Silex, Clay with broken down limestone
Size: 6 hectares at the domaine, buys from 3 to 4 hectares every year as well.
Production: 7 to 10,000 bottles a year.
Varieties: Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Menu Pineau, Romorantin, Gamay, Cot
Viticulture: Organic certified
Terroir: Tuffeau, Limestone, Clay with Silex, Clay with broken down limestone
Size: 6 hectares at the domaine, buys from 3 to 4 hectares every year as well.
Production: 7 to 10,000 bottles a year.
Frantz Saumon established his domaine in Montlouis-sur-Loire in 2002, after a few stints as a forester here (in France) and there (in Canada), and a stage with Christian Chaussard of Domaine le Briseau, an influential voice in the “vin naturel” world who passed away not long ago.
He has always practiced organic/biodynamic agriculture and raises his wines in a variety of fiberglass and stainless steel tanks as well as wood vessels of different sizes. All wines are fermented naturally here, to the extent that there’s not even method Champenoise going on in this cellar -- all of his sparkling wines are pétillant naturel.
Frantz’s winemaking style seems to be about purity, always looking for clean wines and thriving for dryness. He also has a great talent at making pétillant naturels, some of the best ones of the region.
He has always practiced organic/biodynamic agriculture and raises his wines in a variety of fiberglass and stainless steel tanks as well as wood vessels of different sizes. All wines are fermented naturally here, to the extent that there’s not even method Champenoise going on in this cellar -- all of his sparkling wines are pétillant naturel.
Frantz’s winemaking style seems to be about purity, always looking for clean wines and thriving for dryness. He also has a great talent at making pétillant naturels, some of the best ones of the region.
In Montlouis, Frantz works about 5 different Chenin vineyards with a variety of soils. Clos du Chene, which is bottled as a single-vineyard cuvée when the vintage permits, is all tuffeau, a very hard limestone found in the valley, with very little clay topsoil. All other Chenin parcels are either clay over limestone, clay with silex, or clay with broken down limestone (argile a eboulis calcaire.)
The vineyards average between 20 and 50 years old, with Clos du Chene being the exception, consisting of vines that are between 70 to 100 years old.
The vineyards average between 20 and 50 years old, with Clos du Chene being the exception, consisting of vines that are between 70 to 100 years old.
WINES
La cave se rebiffe: his rose petillant, Gamay. Dry, minerals over fruit; no-nonsense. It’s a serious quaffer.
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La petite gaule du matin: his white petnat. Sometimes Chenin, sometimes Menu, we hear about some Sauvignon too, who knows. Dry, lively, acid, pretty pétillant naturel for the sunny days.
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Vin de Frantz Sauvignon Blanc: from fruits tended organically by Philippe Bougret. Frantz makes a cuvée of Sauvignon. Fresh, not overly aromatic, low in alcohol.
*there is also a melon in this line-up |
Vin de Frantz Rosé: a textured and pretty wine made from Gamay and Grolleau. Fruit layered over intense minerals and ample acidity in Frantz's signature rosé style.
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Mineral Plus: a blend of different terroirs to represent the vintage in Montlouis as a whole. Always fresh and vibrant, the last vintages have all been dry and weightless.
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PAST CUVEES
Clos du Chene: a single vineyard of old vines planted in clay and limestone soils. He makes this only in great years, otherwise it is blended into Mineral Plus.
Pintray: another single-vineyard Chenin. Sometimes dry, and sometimes more sec tendre, this wine reminds us of the classic, supple wines of the region that we think Frantz has mastered over the years.
Menu Pineau "Orbois": a bottling he will make once in a while, if a vintage permits. If the wine doesn’t meet Frantz's high expectations, it might be repurposed as the base for one of his pet-nats.
Romorantin "Piece de la veuve": a single-vineyard bottling available in magnums only. Long elevage in barrique; very mineral driven, tense.