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2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
Thierry GermainThierry’s Saumur Blancs are bone-dry, high-acid, mineral Chenin Blancs that drink like Chablis young and take on weight slowly over time. From newer plantings in an ancient, walled vineyard that dates back to the 9th century.
—Dustin Soiseth
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Saumur |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Thierry Germain |
Winemaker: | Thierry Germain |
Vineyard: | 8 years, .3 ha |
Soil: | Sand, Clay, Senonien Limestone |
Aging: | Aged on fine lees in 400L barrel for 9 months |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2023 Saumur Mousseux “Bulles de Roche”
France | Loire
This sparkling wine has decadently rich, honeyed fruit and a nice dollop of buttery brioche.
2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
France | Loire
Fine, with bright acid, sleek silkiness, and great length, it is the most elegant of all of Thierry’s red wines.
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.
2022 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 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 “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.
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 Blanc “L’Échelier”
France | Loire
This dry Chenin Blanc is etched from the white limestone beneath—crystalline, pure, and chiseled.
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
2023 Saumur Mousseux “Bulles de Roche”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Gorges”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Chinon Rosé
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Beaux Monts”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Saumur Champigny “Cuvée Domaine”
Domaine des Roches Neuves France | Loire
2019 Savennières Moelleux
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Cuvée Sainte Narcisse”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2022 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2023 Saumur Mousseux “Bulles de Roche”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Gorges”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Chinon Rosé
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Saumur-Champigny “Franc de Pied”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Beaux Monts”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2022 Saumur Champigny “Cuvée Domaine”
Domaine des Roches Neuves France | Loire
2019 Savennières Moelleux
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Cuvée Sainte Narcisse”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2022 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard 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