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2019 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc
Grange Saint-SauveurAs a consultant for domaines around France and abroad, Antoine Pouponneau used his training in microbiology to make precise, balanced wines deeply rooted in their terroir. Biodynamic farming, working with native yeasts, and filtering as little as possible are all crucial tenets to his philosophy, and his judicious approach to these challenging exercises is undoubtedly responsible for the success he enjoyed in his consulting career.
It is only normal, then, that Antoine and his wife, Alice, would apply these principles to their own wines now that they run their very own domaine. Producing a technique-driven rosé for the masses was absolutely out of the question. Instead they have created a wine from direct-press old-vine Grolleau and Cabernet Franc that is miles from the trendy salmon-colored pink wines being churned out to satisfy the market. No, this one is deep and vinous, reminiscent of herbs and tart berries, built around a mouth-watering core of northerly acidity and chalky minerals. It aged for 18 months in barrel before being released, and can stand to age longer yet.
You’ll best appreciate this rosé cold but not too cold, out of large glasses (decanting it wouldn’t hurt, either), served with food. This is serious rosé, made by a connoisseur, for the connoisseur!
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | Rosé |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Grolleau Noir, Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Vin de France |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Grange Saint-Sauveur |
Winemaker: | Alice Gitton-Pouponneau and Antoine Pouponneau |
Vineyard: | 60 years old, 6.5 ha total |
Soil: | Clay, limestone |
Aging: | Élevage for 18 months on fine lees in 228-L barrels |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
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About The Producer
Grange Saint-Sauveur
Grange Saint-Sauveur’s wines are the first KLWM imports bearing Antoine Pouponneau’s name on their labels, but the connection with the Anjou native runs much deeper. Antoine worked as cellar manager at La Tour du Bon in Bandol from 1994 to 2006—his first job following enology studies in Dijon—then served a long tenure in Corsica as enologist at Clos Canarelli. His approach as a consultant is radically opposed to that of most enologists: a devout enthusiast of biodynamic farming and wild yeast fermentation, Antoine relies on his expertise in microbiology to create wines of character and identity via natural methods. His talents have earned him several prestigious clients over the years, as the likes of Cheval Blanc, Latour, and many others have sought his services to produce low-intervention, terroir-driven wines.
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.
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.