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2019 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry GermainThierry Germain is among the minority of vignerons we work with who are equally focused on—and adept at—making both white and red wines. It doesn’t hurt that Thierry has incredible vineyard plots in both Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc. Insolite means “uncommon” or “exceptional” and refers in this instance to the wine’s terroir: ninety-year-old Chenin Blanc vines planted along a plateau above the Loire River made up of flinty soils, which are very rare in Saumur. The resulting blanc is chiseled and electric and boasts notes of citrus, herbs, and stones that would beautifully complement pan-fried sea bass or shrimp tacos.
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Saumur |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Thierry Germain |
Winemaker: | Thierry Germain |
Vineyard: | 90 years, 3 ha |
Soil: | Silex, Clay, Red Limestone, Sandstone |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region
2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
France | Loire
Thierry Germain’s meticulous process coaxes out the delicate and aromatic side of Chenin Blanc—think jasmine, honeysuckle, and peach.
2021 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.
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
France | Loire
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 “Outre Terre”
France | Loire
Outre Terre is a tiny production of Cabernet Franc fermented in amphora and aged in barrel.
2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
France | Loire
Germain’s reds are grand examples of the heights biodynamic wines can achieve.
2018 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
France | Loire
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.
2023 Saumur Mousseux “Bulles de Roche”
France | Loire
This sparkling wine has decadently rich, honeyed fruit and a nice dollop of buttery brioche.
2022 Saumur Champigny “La Foulée”
France | Loire
Made in a fruit-forward, supple, easy-drinking style with very little added sulfur.
2020 Saumur Blanc “Terres”
France | Loire
Redolent of almonds, honey, and a wide range of citrus, this kaleidoscopic Chenin finishes with a faint tannin, making it ideal alongside sushi, roast chicken, or a hard and flavorful cheese like Comté.
2021 Saumur Champigny “Terres Chaudes”
France | Loire
Thierry has perfected the art of coaxing this Cabernet Franc’s soulfulness and elusive finesse into bottle.
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
2020 Bourgueil “Nuits d’Ivresse”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2023 Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “Cuvée Alouettes”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Gorges”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2023 Sancerre
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Chinon Rosé
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “Outre Terre”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Saumur Champigny “Terres Chaudes”
Domaine des Roches Neuves France | Loire
2020 Bourgueil “Nuits d’Ivresse”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Saumur Blanc “L’Insolite”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Vouvray “La Dilettante”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2023 Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2021 Bourgueil “Cuvée Alouettes”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Gorges”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2023 Sancerre
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Chinon Rosé
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “Outre Terre”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Saumur Champigny “Terres Chaudes”
Domaine des Roches Neuves France | Loire
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