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2016 Saumur Blanc “Clos de L’Écotard”

Thierry Germain
Discount Eligible $42.00
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Thierry Germain’s Saumurs honor the great Chenin Blanc grape. He vinifies them dry and never uses any new oak, so they contain very little artifice from residual sugar or barrel aging. Each wine is a crystal-clear translation of the underlying terroir. Unique compared to the other great Loire Chenins—Savennières, Vouvray, Montlouis, Jasnières—Saumur is noble, elegant, vertical, and imposing.
            Écotard is probably the brightest and most rapier-edged of all of Thierry’s Chenin Blancs. There isn’t an ounce of excess body fat on this one. Think of wine sculpted from a giant block of chalky limestone. Fresh lobster and seared scallops are two pairings that immediately come to mind. Try searing the scallops briefly, then topping them with a grate of lemon zest, sea salt, and a fine drizzle of really good olive oil.

Dixon Brooke


Technical Information
Wine Type: white
Vintage: 2016
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: Chenin Blanc
Appellation: Saumur
Country: France
Region: Loire
Producer: Thierry Germain
Winemaker: Thierry Germain
Vineyard: 8 years, 1 ha
Soil: Clay, Active Limestone (with limestone outcroppings)
Aging: Aged in 1200L foudre for 8 months
Farming: Biodynamic (certified)
Alcohol: 12.5%

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About The Region

Loire

map of 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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Old cob-webbed wine bottles

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.