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2021 Vin de France Blanc “Centenaire”
Grange Saint-Sauveur![- Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant](https://s3.amazonaws.com/efcheckout/kermitlynch/products/Kermit-Lynch-Wine-Merchant-2021-Vin-de-France-iBlanci-Centenaire-product-image-8289-medium.jpg)
The only white wine the domaine produces is named after their parcel of Chenin Blanc vines that are all more than one hundred years old, planted on a gently sloping limestone hillside. This little corner of France produces some of the most exciting Chenin Blanc in the world, and this gem is brilliant proof. Golden, honeyed, ambrosial aromas invite you to dive in deeply, and you are greeted by a full-bodied and flamboyant palate with intense raciness and cut on the long, sculpted finish. This is a grand cru from the Loire that leaves no doubt as to why the white-grape trilogy of Chenin, Chardonnay, and Riesling competes in the hearts and minds of wine lovers.
—Dixon Brooke
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Vin de France |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Grange Saint-Sauveur |
Winemaker: | Alice Gitton-Pouponneau and Antoine Pouponneau |
Vineyard: | 80-100 years old, 6.5 ha total |
Soil: | Clay, limestone |
Aging: | Élevage for 18 months on fine lees in 228-L barrels (1/3 new oak) |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
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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...
![Old cob-webbed wine bottles](http://s3.amazonaws.com/efcheckout/kermitlynch/content/Kermit-Lynch-Wine-Merchant-Kermit-once-said-image_img_1-13437-medium.jpeg)
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.