Thierry Germain - Domaine des Roches Neuves - L'Echelier blanc 2022

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

Thierry Germain has made his estate a benchmark for biodynamic viticulture and great wines. He has passed on his passion to his daughter Jeanne Germain and son Louis, who have joined him on the estate. The wines are dense, with a stimulating energy that highlights the magnificent limestone terroirs of both Clos Romans and Clos de L'Echelier. Low yields give good concentration to the long, silky reds. The difficult 2021 vintage has been perfectly mastered here.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Saumur L'Échelier 2022, made from vines planted on clay-limestone soils and aged for nine months on fine lees, offers a delicate, fragrant bouquet of pear, white flowers, menthol, spices and spring flowers, followed by a medium- to full-bodied palate, satiny and ample, mineral, taut and crystalline, enhanced by a racy freshness that ends with a long, saline finish. This wine is clearly destined to become one of the jewels in Germain's portfolio in the years to come.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

A scintillating white to be discovered in 2022, L'Echelier, with its magnificent purity, manages to combine straightforwardness and finesse, right through to an extremely salivating finish.

About the domain :

The charismatic Thierry Germain has defined a contemporary stylistic approach to Saumur-Champigny, which articulates the right ripeness of the Cabernets and their ageing in wood through different containers; while ensuring the longevity of a wine that is at once fruity, infused, floral and crisp. The extensive work undertaken in the vineyards (biodynamic, some ploughed with horse power) is illustrated by the estate's simple cuvée. The latest white vintages reveal a remarkable saline brilliance, getting to the heart of the chalky expression of chenin on tuffeau. They thrill the taste buds and the body! The reds' quest for a unique, chiselled, crisp balance is undeniable. Their florality can be ravishing. But we're convinced they could reveal a more velvety, graceful balance of Loire Cabernet Franc. Thierry Germain is gradually preparing the estate's future, passing on his knowledge and sensibility to his son Louis, who supports him solidly. The vertical tasting carried out in April 2024 of La Marginale, since 1989, and Clos Romans, since 2012, confirms the undeniable ageing potential of the reds and whites. Remarkable!

Vinous A. Galloni

About the wine:

Open and approachable, the Saumur Blanc L'Échelier 2022 is quite different from the 2021. The freshness is there, but it's wrapped up in ripe nectarine and flowers, offering a warm welcome and a sense of ease before the wine's natural salinity emerges and brings order to it all. This is a wine that blossoms on the palate and gives great pleasure right from the start. Its flavors and textures evolve with its chalky notes and salinity.