Thierry Germain - Domaine des Roches Neuves : Franc de Pied 2022

Characteristics and tasting notes of the Saumur-Champigny "Franc de Pied" 2022 by Thierry Germain - Domaine des Roches Neuves

Tasting

Colour
The bright and limpid colour reveals a beautiful ruby red hue, adorned with highlights ranging from cherry to violet.

Nose
Of great elegance, the nose reveals the aromatic complexity typical of Cabernet Franc through delicate floral notes and small red fruits.

Palate
After a frank and direct attack, the palate proves crisp, juicy and airy. Dominated by flavours of lightly crushed small red fruits and a floral brightness full of vitality, the palate offers a beautiful verticality. Fine, well-integrated tannins harmonise with subtle acidity and a characteristic minerality, drawing the wine towards a persistent and deep finish.

Food and wine pairing

This cuvée pairs wonderfully with red meats, beef tartare or game. It will also ideally accompany veal chops with morels, duck breast with red fruits, or a matured goat cheese.

Service and storage

While it drinks magnificently in its youth, this 2022 vintage promises a fine evolution and can be cellared until around 2029.

The elegance and purity of a wine from the Loire Valley

The estate

Founded in 1850 by the Duveau family, Thierry Germain - Domaine des Roches Neuves is located in the heart of the Loire Valley. Taken over in 1991 by Thierry and Marie Germain, the current owners, the estate has established itself as a benchmark in the region. A pioneer of biodynamics, the estate now oversees 28 hectares of vineyards. Together with their children Louis and Jeanne, the owners cultivate a philosophy respectful of living organisms, combining horse-drawn cultivation and a plot-by-plot approach to reveal the uniqueness of their terroirs.

The vineyard

Located within the Saumur-Champigny appellation, the vineyard benefits from a unique microclimate influenced by the river and the Fontevraud forest. This cuvée comes from a very specific plot planted with ungrafted vines of French origin that escaped phylloxera. Planted at a very high density of 10,000 vines per hectare and trained in goblet form on stakes, these vines thrive on an exclusively sandy soil around six metres deep. The estate applies rigorous biodynamic principles, including rolling the vines and using horse-drawn cultivation.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes are harvested by hand in crates. After passing over a sorting table, the berries are conveyed by belt to oval vats. Fermentation takes place there at a controlled temperature of between 16 and 22°C in order to extract maximum richness and aromas, with the possibility of including whole bunches depending on the year. After a maceration period of eight to ten days, the wine benefits from careful aging in oval barrels.

Grape variety

Cabernet Franc.