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2015 Saumur-Champigny “Terres Chaudes”
Domaine des Roches NeuvesParmentier d'Agneau (Shepherd’s Pie) à la Thierry Germain
A shining star of the biodynamic wine scene in the Loire, Thierry Germain proposes a spring lamb shepherd’s pie to accompany the peppery, cinnamon spice elements of his Terres Chaudes cuvée. Chop the roasted shoulder meat finely and sauté with carrots, onions, and celery, plus some lamb fat and herbs to create a confit. Mash several potatoes, season them to perfection, and don’t go light on the butter and good-quality Comté cheese. Distribute the lamb confit in cocottes, top with potatoes, and pop them in the oven at 325°F for 20 minutes. At table, the deep ruby Cabernet Franc reveals a discreetly floral nose followed by a pleasant ripe fruit palate and a hint of eucalyptus.
—Emily Spillmann
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2015 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Cabernet Franc |
Appellation: | Saumur-Champigny |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Thierry Germain |
Winemaker: | Thierry Germain |
Vineyard: | 45 years, 4 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Tuffeau Limestone |
Aging: | Aged on fine lees in 6000L or 1200L foudre for 12 months |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region
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-Champigny “Les Mémoires”
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Sourced from 110+ year-old vines, this is hands-down one of the best Cab Francs being made in the Loire Valley today.
2020 Saumur Champigny “Outre Terre”
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Outre Terre is a tiny production of Cabernet Franc fermented in amphora and aged in barrel.
2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
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Thierry Germain’s meticulous process coaxes out the delicate and aromatic side of Chenin Blanc—think jasmine, honeysuckle, and peach.
2022 Saumur Champigny “Cuvée Domaine”
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This cuvée delivers trademark elegance and notes of blackberries, forest, and graphite.
2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
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Germain’s reds are grand examples of the heights biodynamic wines can achieve.
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.
2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
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Fine, with bright acid, sleek silkiness, and great length, it is the most elegant of all of Thierry’s red wines.
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.
2018 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
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This chiseled Chenin Blanc comes from 70-year-old vines planted on an ancient limestone slope. Burgundian-like in character from its time spent in barrel, the laser-like acidity will become even more enticing with some age.
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.
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Vouvray Brut
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2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
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2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
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2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
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2022 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
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2020 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
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2022 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2022 Cheverny
Domaine du Salvard France | Loire
2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Les Granges”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2022 Chinon Blanc
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Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
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2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
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2022 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
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Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch