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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.8 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 21 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by MrOctoberfest on 3/22/2023: This is exactly how I like my Cab Franc, which is when it mimics high end Burgundy.
Extremely floral on the bouquet with red and blue fruits on the palate. Mid weight and very supple, this is so elegant. Similar to a 2016 Rougeard Clos in that it has none of the telltale vegetal markings of Loire Cab Franc. (841 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 2/20/2023 & rated 88 points: Beautiful bouquet with red and dark berries, fresh cherries and bell pepper. On the palate fresh and juicy red and dark berry fruits, fresh cherries as well, beautiful acidity and round tannin. Overall the wine has some youthful lactic impressions. (1071 views) | | | Tasted by SoundinBetween on 9/9/2021: Deeply pitched red fruits, a bit of tobacco, soil. Silky texture with greater depth and weight than expected and a moderate finish. Probably showing the ripeness of the vintage, this was plush and easily approachable today; evaluated on day 2 after one evening open in the fridge. Exceptional and not a bit rustic. (1314 views) | | | Tasted by Guillaume-en-égypte on 5/12/2021 & rated 91 points: Not really anything much I can add to the note just below, which is a great description, although I didn't pick up the Brett. Somewhat exceeded my expectations & is def. drinkable now although after finishing this on the second day I opened a 2009 Amirault, La Petite Cave which immediately had me purring on a whole different frequency.
Will try & leave my remaining bottles for another 5 years (1496 views) | | | Tasted by forceberry on 4/2/2021 & rated 90 points: 100% Cabernet Franc from an ungrafted vineyard farmed according to biodynamic principles. Fermented spontaneously in oval foudres over 8-10 days. Aged for 12 months in oval foudres. 13% alcohol.
Luminous, moderately translucent dark ruby red color. Ripe, still remarkably youthful and slightly closed nose with aromas of blackcurrants and fresh bilberries, some bretty funk of leather and earth, light rubbery notes of reduction, a little bit of ripe damson and autumnal leafy hints without any obvious herbaceous green notes. The wine is quite ripe yet fresh and crunchy on the palate with a medium body and intense, dry flavors of fresh bilberries, crowberries and tart cranberries, some brambly notes of raspberries, light autumnal notes of damp leaves, a little bit of sour red plum, a bretty hint of horse stable and a touch of old leather. The structure relies mostly on the fresh, high acidity as the silky tannins feel very sparse and gentle, barely gripping the gums at all. The crunchy finish is dry and lengthy with fresh flavors of tart cranberries and crowberries, some bretty notes of leather, a little bit of brambly raspberry, light bilberry tones and a hint of barnyard funk.
A very tasty, fresh and playful Cabernet Franc that feels very Burgundian in the sense that this wine emphasizes bright red fruit and acid-driven structure over any herbaceous tones or blackcurrant notes more typical of Cabernet Franc, or more tannin-driven structure. At first the wine seemed to be slightly closed and even a bit reductive, but it opened up nicely in the glass. There seems to be a little bit of brett here, but the overall feel is nevertheless wonderfully pure and precise, letting the funky notes remain nicely in the background. Seeing how very youthful and even slightly reductive the wine is now, I heartily recommend either decanting it well ahead or then just letting it age more. The wine shows good potential for future development and I can imagine it will improve for at least another 5-10 years, if not longer. Good value at 26€. (2100 views) | | | Tasted by R.H. on 2/22/2021: 2/22/2021
with braised lamb shoulder
delicious, crunchy, harmonious. should drink more of this (1324 views) | | | Tasted by decaturwinedude on 2/19/2021 & rated 90 points: A good showing. A good wine. Nose is fully Loire Cab Franc, no mistaking it. Green pepper, leather, earth. Palate is pure, clean red fruit. Very fresh. Juicy, lower acid. Not a ton of depth in the middle. Soft. Not really special in '15, but clean, pure wine. Enjoyable but lacks a bit of personality. (1639 views) | | | Tasted by coremill on 12/29/2020 & rated 90 points: Bright reddish purple fruit, hint of pyrazines but not overly green. Clean, without a lot of earthy/bretty/tobaccoey funk. Juicy without being overly acidic, light in body, good flavor intensity but not particularly dense. Has an elegance and lightness of texture I associate with FdP wines. Handles 2015 ripeness well. I might have wanted a lot more substance in the middle but it's certainly delicious. (1061 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 9/7/2020 & rated 89 points: Gang of 5 in Covid19 times; Loire (@ RW): Beautiful bouquet with beautiful oak and a touch of barnyard. On the palate red berries, bell papper, beautiful oak, slightly sticky tannin and beautifully fresh acidity. (1211 views) | | | Tasted by ssouth on 4/20/2020 & rated 95 points: 2015 Thierry Germain Domaine des Roches Neuves. Franc de Pied. Saumur Champigny. Alc 13%. Bright earthy and sweet nose. Intense ripe red raspberry with striking precision and fresh intensity. Mouth watering tannins and a long finish. Simply a stunning version of Cabernet Franc. No green or pepper notes at all (1296 views) | | | Tasted by mdefreitas on 10/14/2017 & rated 90 points: Clean, crisp and juicy with tart cranberry and pomegranate fruit flavors. Hints of black pepper, cloves, earth and herbs coming through with air. Lots of upside potential here, as this shows exquisite balance. (2772 views) | | | Tasted by ant-1 on 9/25/2017: Bien fait, peu d'émotion, RQP mauvais. (2390 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 7/2/2017 & rated 87 points: Retailer tasting; just short notes.: This wine comes from a sandy soil. Cherries and dark berries, some minerals, good acidity and slightly drying tannin. (2852 views) |
| Domaine des Roches Neuves Producer Website
Roches Neuves
In many ways, Thierry Germain is a rare producer in the tiny Saumur-Champigny appellation; a grower producing wine of such quality that they demand the wine world sit up and take notice. The style of wine produced here is not only totally unique but has evolved significantly, for the better, in recent years. In short, at Domaine des Roches Neuves, Germain has achieved for Cabernet Franc in Saumur what, for example, François Chidaine has achieved with Chenin in Montlouis; wines of silky, swaggering texture, deep complexity and beguiling purity, made with a passion and an outward-looking mentality that has had a galvanizing effect on the region as a whole. In doing so, Germain—himself inspired by the wines of the reclusive Foucault brothers at Clos Rougeard—has motivated a small legion of local growers. No less than eleven producers (that we know of) have followed him into organic or biodynamic practices.
Since his arrival to the region in 1991 Germain has been hell-bent on producing—with Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc as the loudspeaker—a purist’s expression of this fine, limestone-laced terroir. Biodynamic viticulture, ultra-low yields and ‘hands off’ élevage are the order of the day here. Sure, with his attention to detail, minuscule yields and cutting-edge technique, he’s shocked many a local and ruffled a few feathers along the way; but this is typical of so many avant-garde growers, especially those that have come from another region to make their mark (Germain came from Bordeaux).
Today, Roches Nueves holds a coveted three-star rating by La Revue de Vins du France—only one of eight producers in the Loire Valley with this rating and only the second grower in Saumur, along with Clos Rougeard, to achieve this rating
As with any great grower, the quality of the vineyard is the most important foundation. Second, in order of importance, is the vineyard work. Viticulture here is fully biodynamic. Obviously, no herbicides or pesticides are used at all and only a small amount, when necessary, of natural compost is added to the soil. Germain plants trees to encourage biodiversity in his vineyards (some 100 species of flora coexist with his vines). All harvesting is manual. Each second row is ploughed, with natural plant life holding court in the odd rows. The labour-intensive, biodynamic agriculture at this address is now second to none. Recent developments include the reintroduction of horse ploughing, the establishment of a massale vine nursery, and the hand-tucking of vine shoots back into the canopy.
The last decade has seen Germain completely change his approach in the cellar. Today the Domaine practices very gentle extraction (if at all) by foot or wooden paddle and there is much more reliance on larger and older format oak. This includes 60 hl oak vats—so big they had to be built on site—25 hl foudres and 1200 litre Austrian oak ovals (for the white, Insolite). These larger vessels bring a far greater level of vineyard transparency, purity of fruit and suppleness to Germain’s cuvées. The wines are neither fined nor filtered, Germain preferring to leave the wines to naturally settle in the cool tufa cellars before bottling.
For perspective on the evolution of the wine style here, we find the following anecdote instructive. Since Germain’s early days at Roches Neuves, his mentor and (late) friend Nady Foucault of Clos Rougeard would often drop by to taste and comment on Germain’s new vintage wines. In the early years, Foucault would share his wisdom over a glass of one of Germain’s cuvées and then move on. As the years progressed and Germain began to master his terroirs and refine his winemaking, Foucault would stay a little longer, indulging in two or three glasses. Nowadays, there is always a bottle or two that gets polished off. Foucault had been sending Germain a clear message and it was one well received: this is a Domaine at the top of its game.
Most of Thierry Germain’s considerable achievements have been viewed through his Domaine’s red wines. Well, les blancs are equally stunning. Years ago, Germain deduced that Saumur’s most exciting Chenin Blanc derived from the region’s most calcaire terroirs, where there were only the thinnest layers of topsoil, barely lining the pure limestone mother-rock beneath. He, therefore, searched for sites that matched this criterion, and today, the Domaine’s Chenin Blancs are wines of remarkable energy and purity.Cabernet Franc Varietal character (Appellation America) | Wines & Vines articleFrance Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comLoire Valley Vins du Val de Loire (Interprofession des Vins du Val de Loire)
Jancis Robinson vintage reports
Wine Spectator vintage reports
Wine Scholar Guild vintage reports
2016 vintage:
"Quality and concentration is good, with Chenin Blanc being particularly noteworthy in 2016 while Sancerre is thought to be the best of the Sauvignon Blanc appellations. Cabernet Franc is 'delicious, ripe and fruity' according to Loire courtier Chris Hardy." - Jancis Roninson
2017 vintage reports:
Jancis Robinson
Vinfolio
"2018 wines will not be typical of the Loire rather they will have the characteristics of wines from much further south" - Philippe Gilbert
2019 vintage:
Academie du Vin report
"the warm 2019 vintage is characterised by a surprising freshness" - Jim Budd
Vineyards on weinagen-infoAnjou-SaumurSee an excellent article on Vinography. |
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