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2018 Saumur Mousseux “Bulles de Roche”
Thierry GermainFrom the Chenin of Saumur, Thierry crafts this gorgeous sparkling wine with a distinctly rich and golden style, all natural, as it contains no added dosage. Contrary to the rash of bone-dry, high-acid brut zeros out there (which I also enjoy), this wine has decadently rich, honeyed fruit and a nice dollop of buttery brioche. It is good to have both options.
—Dixon Brooke
Wine Type: | sparkling |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 90% Chenin Blanc, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Chardonnay |
Appellation: | Saumur |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Thierry Germain |
Winemaker: | Thierry Germain |
Vineyard: | 60 years, 1.2 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | ged for 3 months in 228L barrels, then bottle aged, sur latte, for 9 months |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
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This dry Chenin Blanc is etched from the white limestone beneath—crystalline, pure, and chiseled.
2022 Saumur Champigny “La Foulée”
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Made in a fruit-forward, supple, easy-drinking style with very little added sulfur.
2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
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This downright Burgundian wine shows off the savory spine and weightless concentration imparted by this particular site.
2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
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This blanc is chiseled and electric and boasts notes of citrus, herbs, and stones that would beautifully complement pan-fried sea bass or shrimp tacos.
2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
France | Loire
This blanc is chiseled and electric and boasts notes of citrus, herbs, and stones that would beautifully complement pan-fried sea bass or shrimp tacos.
2021 Saumur Champigny “Terres Chaudes”
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Thierry has perfected the art of coaxing this Cabernet Franc’s soulfulness and elusive finesse into bottle.
2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
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Germain’s reds are grand examples of the heights biodynamic wines can achieve.
2022 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
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This blanc is chiseled and electric and boasts notes of citrus, herbs, and stones that would beautifully complement pan-fried sea bass or shrimp tacos.
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
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This Saumur Champigny is electric and alive, from the first scent of roses on the nose to the juxtaposition of textured tannic grip and sheer weightlessness on the palate.
2022 Saumur Champigny “Cuvée Domaine”
France | Loire
This cuvée delivers trademark elegance and notes of blackberries, forest, and graphite.
About The Producer
Thierry Germain
Thierry relocated to the Loire from Bordeaux in the early 1990s, and soon fell under the influence of his spiritual father, Charly Foucault of Clos Rougeard. Thierry would ultimately convert his entire domaine to biodynamic viticulture, which was the equivalent of his wine epiphany. Listening and observing his plants, allowing them to guide him, revolutionized his way of thinking. Thierry harvests on the relatively early side to preserve fresh, vibrant fruit. His goal is to produce Cabernet with purity, finesse, and drinkability, while avoiding rusticity, vegetal character, and hard tannins. When it comes to his Chenin, he makes bone dry, high acid, mineral wines that drink like Chablis young and take on weight slowly over time. Aging takes place in large oval foudres (for the whites) and round foudres and demi-muids (for the reds) in Thierry’s frigid tuffeau cellars below his winery in Varrains. His incredibly diverse terroirs are translated with utter clarity and precision.
About The Region
Loire
The defining feature of the Loire Valley, not surprisingly, is the Loire River. As the longest river in France, spanning more than 600 miles, this river connects seemingly disparate wine regions. Why else would Sancerre, with its Kimmeridgian limestone terroir be connected to Muscadet, an appellation that is 250 miles away?
Secondary in relevance to the historical, climatic, environmental, and cultural importance of the river are the wines and châteaux of the Jardin de la France. The kings and nobility of France built many hundreds of châteaux in the Loire but wine preceded the arrival of the noblesse and has since out-lived them as well.
Diversity abounds in the Loire. The aforementioned Kimmderidgian limestone of Sancerre is also found in Chablis. Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur boast the presence of tuffeau, a type of limestone unique to the Loire that has a yellowish tinge and a chalky texture. Savennières has schist, while Muscadet has volcanic, granite, and serpentinite based soils. In addition to geologic diversity, many, grape varieties are grown there too: Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne are most prevalent, but (to name a few) Pinot Gris, Grolleau, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Folle Blanche are also planted. These myriad of viticultural influences leads to the high quality production of every type of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert.
Like the Rhône and Provence, some of Kermit’s first imports came from the Loire, most notably the wines of Charles Joguet and Château d’Epiré—two producers who are featured in Kermit’s book Adventures on the Wine Route and with whom we still work today.
More from Loire or France
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2020 Chinon “Les Petites Roches”
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2020 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
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2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
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2022 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
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1989 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
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2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Rosé
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2020 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Clisson “La Molette”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Vouvray “Les Fondraux”
Champalou France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Noir
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Les Petites Roches”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
1989 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
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2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174