Loire Valley Visit
Featuring Marie Thibault (pictured above in front of the old house in her vineyards), Frantz Saumon, and Martin Texier
“If someone from Paris happened to mention the Rothschilds or Monsieur Laffitte, Saumur people would ask if they were as rich as [master cooper to the vignerons] Monsieur Grandet. And when the Parisian answered the question, with a pitying smile, in the affirmative, they would look at one another incredulously and shake their heads.”
- Eugénie Grandet by Honoré de Balzac, 1834
Was a time when the status of Loire valley winemaker had a solid meaning in the hierarchy of the Bourgeoisie. Albeit a provincial one. The white stone homes of Saumur, such as the actual house described in Eugénie Grandet that we paid homage to on our latest visit, are testaments to this time. A lot has changed since then. Although, it’s true some estates maintain that status of bourgeois comfortability. Not the Loire vignerons whose wines we import. It’s probable you're already familiar with the influence of Jules Chauvet, the Gang of Four, and the story/politics of French natural wine. There are elements of this movement that are politically radical and others that are distinctly less so. Some elements more to the left and others surprisingly to the right. But the echoes and influence are undeniable. And today there exists an evolved community of vignerons who embody so much more.
I first met Frantz Saumon and Marie Thibault in September 2018. Thierry Puzelat, with whom I was doing harvest, lent me his car to drive to Azay-le-Rideau one Saturday because I wanted to meet them. He’d called ahead on my behalf, and they’d invited me for lunch. I arrived a little early and no one was at the house. Walking around, I noticed two large doors carved into the side of a hill directly abutting the backyard. When Frantz and Marie pulled up, it was to one of these doors. After opening it and introducing themselves, they asked me to help them unload a new fiberglass tank. So I did. Afterwards, we broke bread and drank Frantz’s wines (then all from Montlouis) and Marie’s wines (from Azay, where she’d been making her wine since 2010). They gave me a tour of the cellars: each door on the side of the hill led to one of their caves. Literal caves, as it turns out, that had been quarries for mining the stones used to build the château. Marie’s was meticulous, more barrels, and copious apparent notes. Frantz’s less so, with more space for tanks and a secret space in the back that had been the wine storage of the previous tenant. There were some old old treasures back there.
Eight years later, on January 28th of this year, we visited as a team by way of kicking off the Salons de la Loire. The two cellars were still there, his and hers, but have grown quite a bit since then (the last time we’d all been was in February 2020). Marie graciously led us on a tour of the vineyards and we got to hear a bit more about her winemaking journey.
Marie Thibault grew up in Anjou between Angers and Saumur. She studied wine and worked in different domaines, for example 2002-3 with Francois Chidaine. In the nineties, Anjou was hot, often sweet wine. Marie decided she wanted to make Chenin but with acidity, on silex/calcaire. Partly to accomplish this goal, and because her then partner wanted to pursue opportunities for his work as a mason, they moved to Azay. In 2009-2010, Pascal Pibaleau (who held Quentin Bourse’s domaine before him) showed Marie the vineyards in which we stood, several hectares of old vine Gamay and Chenin (both older own-rooted and young grafted) as well as a scattering of apple trees. She began with a few rows in 2010. Marie owns the vineyards now, but before–when she rented the rows–she “proved” to Pibaleau that she knew what she was doing. So she’s now had the vines for fifteen years.
Continuing the spirit of collaboration and mentorship, there is a young winemaker named Gwen working with Marie now. Gwen brought along her horse, Cabernet, who is going to start working in the vineyard this vintage. Gwen’s dad trains horses for this purpose, and we’re excited. Sheep also graze hectare by hectare to assist a pruning team of about five people. The harvest team is fifteen to twenty people.
Marie green harvests everything every year, because there’s very poor soil with no organic material. This summer it was mostly rainy, but then there were three weeks where it was hot and windy and the young vines suffered. As a result, they decided to blend the grafted with ungrafted Chenin. The old Gamay, planted next to an ancient house (which Marie and Frantz hope to renovate and move into soon), fared quite well. They’ve planted some Menu Pineau and next year, which will be the first fruited vintage for these vines, they will blend Menu Pineau from Montlouis and Azay. Frantz and Marie are also planting a half hectare of Grolleau on the hill above their caves near the house.
Now Available from Marie Thibault:
Roue Qui Tourne Blanc 2022: 100% Chenin from organic vines planted on different terroirs of Azay-le-Rideau, mainly flint clay soils. Manual harvesting and yields around 40 hl/ha. Alcoholic fermentation in vats, and malolactic fermentation in the bottle. Bottled in November 2022, one year of aging on slats.
Premier Nez 2021: 100% Chenin from 60-year-old vines grown organically and planted on hillsides on the southern slopes of the Indre. Very draining soils with presence of flint, clay-limestone subsoil. Manual harvest. Vinification: direct pressing of the whole bunches, fermentation in 220, 400 and 600-liter barrels that have seen one wine on the one hand, and in sandstone jars and concrete vats on the other hand. 24 months of aging in a cellar dug out of tufa stone. Bottled in July 2022 with a micro-dose of sulfur
Premier Nez 2022 (New Label): Yields were only one third of what they usually are this vintage! Still raised in barrels, it’s robust and delicious and we’re lucky to have some.
Les Grandes Vignes 2018: Les Grandes Vignes is 100% Gamay from 50+ year old vines grown on silex with Gamay, next to the old house pictured above. Vinification: total destemming, long maceration for 11 months without yeast addition or sulphiting. No pressing! 12 months of additional aging of the free run juice. Bottled at the Estate without fining, filtration or any addition of sulfites.
Les Grandes Vignes 2019
After walking through the vineyards, we joined Frantz and their guests from Montreal, Steve and Cat of Sélections Fluides. Marie and Frantz have one of the most hospitable kitchens on earth and it was there that we opened the wines that have just arrived in New York to taste. We also opened some other fun unicorns: 2005 Chenin, which was a négoce project Thierry Puzelat and Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme collaborated on, buying Chenin from Saumon, was a highlight.
One theme that kept arising was, unsurprisingly, time. “When you taste underripe grapes, the process overrides the origin. You don’t taste where it’s from. Sometimes the VA burns the stomach.” 2019-2021 had issues with frost. More recently, it’s been heat. The acidity is not the only volatile thing in these times. Per Marie, as it becomes warmer, the acidity is going down and the bitterness is going up. 10 years ago it was just acidity balancing alcohol but that’s not the case any more. Rather than looking at volatile acidity, there’s a trend of distinct bitterness to be cautious of. Thankfully, this is not the case for Frantz and Marie’s wines.
Now Available from Frantz Saumon:
Vin de Frantz Chenin Blanc 2024: négoce from Tours but also some grapes from Azay and Montlouis. Frantz says this is the “signature Chenin du domaine”. Really smooth, with balanced acidity.
Romorantin 2023: aged eighteen months in fûts, this stunning Romorantin is from a young (2017) vineyard planted selection massale by Tessier/Villemade.
Cave Se Rebiffe 2024: rose petillant, Gamay. Dry, minerals over fruit; no-nonsense. It’s a serious quaffer with a serious mousse.
Mineral Plus 2023: Chenin from a blend of different terroirs to represent the vintage in Montlouis as a whole. Light and energetic as always, with some strong textural elements.
“If someone from Paris happened to mention the Rothschilds or Monsieur Laffitte, Saumur people would ask if they were as rich as [master cooper to the vignerons] Monsieur Grandet. And when the Parisian answered the question, with a pitying smile, in the affirmative, they would look at one another incredulously and shake their heads.”
- Eugénie Grandet by Honoré de Balzac, 1834
Was a time when the status of Loire valley winemaker had a solid meaning in the hierarchy of the Bourgeoisie. Albeit a provincial one. The white stone homes of Saumur, such as the actual house described in Eugénie Grandet that we paid homage to on our latest visit, are testaments to this time. A lot has changed since then. Although, it’s true some estates maintain that status of bourgeois comfortability. Not the Loire vignerons whose wines we import. It’s probable you're already familiar with the influence of Jules Chauvet, the Gang of Four, and the story/politics of French natural wine. There are elements of this movement that are politically radical and others that are distinctly less so. Some elements more to the left and others surprisingly to the right. But the echoes and influence are undeniable. And today there exists an evolved community of vignerons who embody so much more.
I first met Frantz Saumon and Marie Thibault in September 2018. Thierry Puzelat, with whom I was doing harvest, lent me his car to drive to Azay-le-Rideau one Saturday because I wanted to meet them. He’d called ahead on my behalf, and they’d invited me for lunch. I arrived a little early and no one was at the house. Walking around, I noticed two large doors carved into the side of a hill directly abutting the backyard. When Frantz and Marie pulled up, it was to one of these doors. After opening it and introducing themselves, they asked me to help them unload a new fiberglass tank. So I did. Afterwards, we broke bread and drank Frantz’s wines (then all from Montlouis) and Marie’s wines (from Azay, where she’d been making her wine since 2010). They gave me a tour of the cellars: each door on the side of the hill led to one of their caves. Literal caves, as it turns out, that had been quarries for mining the stones used to build the château. Marie’s was meticulous, more barrels, and copious apparent notes. Frantz’s less so, with more space for tanks and a secret space in the back that had been the wine storage of the previous tenant. There were some old old treasures back there.
Eight years later, on January 28th of this year, we visited as a team by way of kicking off the Salons de la Loire. The two cellars were still there, his and hers, but have grown quite a bit since then (the last time we’d all been was in February 2020). Marie graciously led us on a tour of the vineyards and we got to hear a bit more about her winemaking journey.
Marie Thibault grew up in Anjou between Angers and Saumur. She studied wine and worked in different domaines, for example 2002-3 with Francois Chidaine. In the nineties, Anjou was hot, often sweet wine. Marie decided she wanted to make Chenin but with acidity, on silex/calcaire. Partly to accomplish this goal, and because her then partner wanted to pursue opportunities for his work as a mason, they moved to Azay. In 2009-2010, Pascal Pibaleau (who held Quentin Bourse’s domaine before him) showed Marie the vineyards in which we stood, several hectares of old vine Gamay and Chenin (both older own-rooted and young grafted) as well as a scattering of apple trees. She began with a few rows in 2010. Marie owns the vineyards now, but before–when she rented the rows–she “proved” to Pibaleau that she knew what she was doing. So she’s now had the vines for fifteen years.
Continuing the spirit of collaboration and mentorship, there is a young winemaker named Gwen working with Marie now. Gwen brought along her horse, Cabernet, who is going to start working in the vineyard this vintage. Gwen’s dad trains horses for this purpose, and we’re excited. Sheep also graze hectare by hectare to assist a pruning team of about five people. The harvest team is fifteen to twenty people.
Marie green harvests everything every year, because there’s very poor soil with no organic material. This summer it was mostly rainy, but then there were three weeks where it was hot and windy and the young vines suffered. As a result, they decided to blend the grafted with ungrafted Chenin. The old Gamay, planted next to an ancient house (which Marie and Frantz hope to renovate and move into soon), fared quite well. They’ve planted some Menu Pineau and next year, which will be the first fruited vintage for these vines, they will blend Menu Pineau from Montlouis and Azay. Frantz and Marie are also planting a half hectare of Grolleau on the hill above their caves near the house.
Now Available from Marie Thibault:
Roue Qui Tourne Blanc 2022: 100% Chenin from organic vines planted on different terroirs of Azay-le-Rideau, mainly flint clay soils. Manual harvesting and yields around 40 hl/ha. Alcoholic fermentation in vats, and malolactic fermentation in the bottle. Bottled in November 2022, one year of aging on slats.
Premier Nez 2021: 100% Chenin from 60-year-old vines grown organically and planted on hillsides on the southern slopes of the Indre. Very draining soils with presence of flint, clay-limestone subsoil. Manual harvest. Vinification: direct pressing of the whole bunches, fermentation in 220, 400 and 600-liter barrels that have seen one wine on the one hand, and in sandstone jars and concrete vats on the other hand. 24 months of aging in a cellar dug out of tufa stone. Bottled in July 2022 with a micro-dose of sulfur
Premier Nez 2022 (New Label): Yields were only one third of what they usually are this vintage! Still raised in barrels, it’s robust and delicious and we’re lucky to have some.
Les Grandes Vignes 2018: Les Grandes Vignes is 100% Gamay from 50+ year old vines grown on silex with Gamay, next to the old house pictured above. Vinification: total destemming, long maceration for 11 months without yeast addition or sulphiting. No pressing! 12 months of additional aging of the free run juice. Bottled at the Estate without fining, filtration or any addition of sulfites.
Les Grandes Vignes 2019
After walking through the vineyards, we joined Frantz and their guests from Montreal, Steve and Cat of Sélections Fluides. Marie and Frantz have one of the most hospitable kitchens on earth and it was there that we opened the wines that have just arrived in New York to taste. We also opened some other fun unicorns: 2005 Chenin, which was a négoce project Thierry Puzelat and Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme collaborated on, buying Chenin from Saumon, was a highlight.
One theme that kept arising was, unsurprisingly, time. “When you taste underripe grapes, the process overrides the origin. You don’t taste where it’s from. Sometimes the VA burns the stomach.” 2019-2021 had issues with frost. More recently, it’s been heat. The acidity is not the only volatile thing in these times. Per Marie, as it becomes warmer, the acidity is going down and the bitterness is going up. 10 years ago it was just acidity balancing alcohol but that’s not the case any more. Rather than looking at volatile acidity, there’s a trend of distinct bitterness to be cautious of. Thankfully, this is not the case for Frantz and Marie’s wines.
Now Available from Frantz Saumon:
Vin de Frantz Chenin Blanc 2024: négoce from Tours but also some grapes from Azay and Montlouis. Frantz says this is the “signature Chenin du domaine”. Really smooth, with balanced acidity.
Romorantin 2023: aged eighteen months in fûts, this stunning Romorantin is from a young (2017) vineyard planted selection massale by Tessier/Villemade.
Cave Se Rebiffe 2024: rose petillant, Gamay. Dry, minerals over fruit; no-nonsense. It’s a serious quaffer with a serious mousse.
Mineral Plus 2023: Chenin from a blend of different terroirs to represent the vintage in Montlouis as a whole. Light and energetic as always, with some strong textural elements.
The Salons de la Loire were a reminder of communal winemaking. Chez Quastana, we ran into my friend from 2018 Harvest Leo who now works with them. At the fairs, we saw vignerons from all over France who we work with and admire as well as buyers and colleagues from the states. One such vigneron who traveled from the Rhone for La Dive Bouteille was Martin Texier. He was there pouring his father, Eric Texier’s, wines. Martin is progressively taking over the production for all Brézème/St. Julien, which already started with Cerouan and now with Vendeze (Syrah in St. Julien). Martin’s wines have noticeably evolved from one vintage to the next and the current release is really great evidence of that. Texier Brézème 2023 (the estate Syrah) is my personal contender for favorite Syrah: black olive nose, but not in an egregious way, with distinct floral notes and what can only be described as (according to my notes) an “ecstatic” overall vibe.
Now Available from Martin Texier:
La Rouviere Blanc 2024: Roussanne and Clairette grapes from the St Julien en St Alban parcel Martin planted next to his cave. Direct pressing, settling, then fermentation and aging in stainless steel tanks, and finally bottling in the spring.
CdR Brézème Blanc 2024: Roussanne from a younger parcel. Fermented and kept in barrels on the lees.
Petite Nature 2024: Pétillant naturel made from Muscat, Chasselas Rose, and a mélange of different table varieties. Direct press to stainless steel; bottled with 15g/liter residual sugar to carry out secondary fermentation in the bottle. Aromatic, dry, and energetic.
Le Preyna 2024: is the name of an old parcel planted with 75% cinsault and 25% grenache in deep granitic soils. The grapes are pressed and fermented separately in concrete tanks and blended before bottling. This is a typical, light-bodied, everyday wine local to the region.
Cerouan 2023: Serines from the Clau plot planted in 1955. A special plot, it was this very plot that revealed to us the potential of the Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban terroir. Eric vinified these grapes until 2020. From 2021 onwards, Martin has taken up the mantle on this plot, striving to maintain the spirit of this wine, which is meant for aging.
CdR Brézème 2023: 30-year-old Syrah vines. Half-destemmed, and pressed after a ten-day maceration. Elevage in old demi muid for 15 months.
La Boutanche Cinsault 2024 1L: Cinsault and a touch of Grenache from the Languedoc all done in tank with no sulfur.
When I asked Martin in October about the term “Paysan Vigneron,” he demurred. And he explained–it’s more about community and farmers/artisans/winemakers standing up to help one another. “Vin de Paisan” encapsulates this agricultural community, and its notion of compatriot solidarity, much better. Individualism is the key weapon of an oppressive capitalistic system. A scarcity mindset, a consumerist ideology, a fetishized relationship to those things consumed are responsible for alienating the product of wine from its process and community of producers. And that community extends beyond the vignerons themselves to their families, neighbors, and superfans like me. It’s a collective effort and a collective joy.
When we’re talking about the state of natural wine today, and how it’s developed past its official origins in the ‘70s and into an age of uncertainty (climatic, political, cultural, economic, you name it), the only thing to do is reconnect with one another. The individualists aren’t going to make it in the face of challenges such as these. Sorry, Parkerists. Nobody cares anymore how many points you have. There are bigger things at play. And, in this writer (Kate)’s humble opinion, connecting with real wines from a real place is a really great antidote to the existential dread.
Be well,
Selection Massale
Now Available from Martin Texier:
La Rouviere Blanc 2024: Roussanne and Clairette grapes from the St Julien en St Alban parcel Martin planted next to his cave. Direct pressing, settling, then fermentation and aging in stainless steel tanks, and finally bottling in the spring.
CdR Brézème Blanc 2024: Roussanne from a younger parcel. Fermented and kept in barrels on the lees.
Petite Nature 2024: Pétillant naturel made from Muscat, Chasselas Rose, and a mélange of different table varieties. Direct press to stainless steel; bottled with 15g/liter residual sugar to carry out secondary fermentation in the bottle. Aromatic, dry, and energetic.
Le Preyna 2024: is the name of an old parcel planted with 75% cinsault and 25% grenache in deep granitic soils. The grapes are pressed and fermented separately in concrete tanks and blended before bottling. This is a typical, light-bodied, everyday wine local to the region.
Cerouan 2023: Serines from the Clau plot planted in 1955. A special plot, it was this very plot that revealed to us the potential of the Saint-Julien-en-Saint-Alban terroir. Eric vinified these grapes until 2020. From 2021 onwards, Martin has taken up the mantle on this plot, striving to maintain the spirit of this wine, which is meant for aging.
CdR Brézème 2023: 30-year-old Syrah vines. Half-destemmed, and pressed after a ten-day maceration. Elevage in old demi muid for 15 months.
La Boutanche Cinsault 2024 1L: Cinsault and a touch of Grenache from the Languedoc all done in tank with no sulfur.
When I asked Martin in October about the term “Paysan Vigneron,” he demurred. And he explained–it’s more about community and farmers/artisans/winemakers standing up to help one another. “Vin de Paisan” encapsulates this agricultural community, and its notion of compatriot solidarity, much better. Individualism is the key weapon of an oppressive capitalistic system. A scarcity mindset, a consumerist ideology, a fetishized relationship to those things consumed are responsible for alienating the product of wine from its process and community of producers. And that community extends beyond the vignerons themselves to their families, neighbors, and superfans like me. It’s a collective effort and a collective joy.
When we’re talking about the state of natural wine today, and how it’s developed past its official origins in the ‘70s and into an age of uncertainty (climatic, political, cultural, economic, you name it), the only thing to do is reconnect with one another. The individualists aren’t going to make it in the face of challenges such as these. Sorry, Parkerists. Nobody cares anymore how many points you have. There are bigger things at play. And, in this writer (Kate)’s humble opinion, connecting with real wines from a real place is a really great antidote to the existential dread.
Be well,
Selection Massale