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

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Thierry Germain has made his estate a benchmark and a leading address for biodynamics and great Loire wines, while successfully passing on his passion to his children, Jeanne and Louis, who now work with him. The dense, energetic wines showcase the magnificent limestone terroirs of the Saumur-Champigny appellation, particularly the Clos Romans and Clos de L'Echelier single vineyard wines. Low yields result in beautifully concentrated reds that are silky and long on the palate.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About wine:

The Saumur L'Échelier 2022, made from vines planted on clay-limestone soils and aged for nine months on fine lees, offers a delicate and fragrant bouquet of pear, white flowers, menthol, spices, and spring flowers, followed by a medium-bodied to full-bodied palate, satin-smooth and full-bodied, mineral, taut and crystalline, enhanced by a racy freshness that ends with a long, salty 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 wine:

A sparkling white to discover in 2022, L'Echelier, with its magnificent purity, manages to combine integrity and finesse, leading to an extremely mouthwatering finish.

About the estate:

The charismatic Thierry Germain has developed a unique stylistic approach to Saumur-Champigny and Saumur whites. The significant work undertaken in the vineyards (using biodynamic methods, some plowed by horse) is evident even in the estate's simplest cuvée. The latest white vintages reveal a remarkable saline brightness, going to the heart of the chalky expression of Chenin on tuffeau. They thrill the taste buds and the body! The quest for crispness and precision is undeniable in the reds, which can have a delightful floral quality. However, we are convinced that they could reveal a more velvety, graceful and mature balance of Loire Cabernet Franc, in the style of La Marginale, whose vertical tasting in April 2024 confirmed its aging potential.

Vinous

About wine:

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