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2021 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
Grange Saint-SauveurThis playful blend of Grolleau Noir, Grolleau Gris, and Gamay is the domaine’s earliest-drinking red cuvée, with soft edges that take a chill well. The new vintage shows great freshness and brightness, making me think of tart berries picked in the forest just a touch below full ripeness. The seeds are there, too, and add a pleasant crunch. A vein of chalk on the finish wraps it together nicely and reminds you where you are—the glorious tuffeau cliffs on the banks of the mighty Loire.
—Dixon Brooke
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 60% Grolleau Noir, 30% Gamay, 10% Grolleau Gris |
Appellation: | Vin de France |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Grange Saint-Sauveur |
Winemaker: | Alice Gitton-Pouponneau and Antoine Pouponneau |
Aging: | Raised in 5 HL oak barrels |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 12% |
More from this Producer or Region
2021 Vin de France Blanc “Centenaire”
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Fermented and aged in barrel and bottled unfiltered, it features a delightful kiss of oak on the long, bracing, mouth-watering finish.
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
France | Loire
The new vintage shows great freshness and brightness, making me think of tart berries picked in the forest just a touch below full ripeness.
2020 Vin de France Rouge Cabernet Franc “Huguette”
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Huguette is a silky, peppery Cabernet Franc from vines over a century in age.
2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
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2022 Chinon Blanc
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A rare Chenin Blanc from the land of Cabernet Franc. Ultra fresh and brimming with citrus blossom and orchard fruit notes, it has a saline, mineral finish that leaves my palate simultaneously satisfied and begging for more. Try it with fresh trout, grilled whole topped with chimichurri or smoked and tossed into a Niçoise salad.
2022 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”
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Pierre’s old-vine Quincy has a mouth-coating texture and charming notes of tangerine that are certain to earn this great appellation the following it deserves.
2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
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A lovely combination of Grolleau Noir and Cabernet Franc, there seems to be a synergistic effect elevating both grapes to create a juicy, spicy, refreshing whole.
2018 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc
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The fruit is concentrated, deep, and pure, suggesting wild brambles and tart blackberries, along with an earthy, spicy component and hints of cedar.
2022 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”
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It is a lively, brisk wine, showcasing pristine red fruit and a hint of herbs over a firm foundation of stony acidity.
2020 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
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Intensely dry and mineral, the structured Les Arceaux is a bottle to pair with a meal rather than to drink as an apéritif.
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.
More from Loire or France
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2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
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2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
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2020 Saumur Champigny “Outre Terre”
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2021 Bourgeuil “Cuvée Beauvais”
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2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Noir
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2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
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2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
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2021 Chinon
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2020 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
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2020 Chinon “Les Varennes du Grand Clos”
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2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Savennières “Cuvée Spéciale”
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “Outre Terre”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Bourgeuil “Cuvée Beauvais”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Cuvée Terroir”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Noir
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Chinon
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.