Thierry Germain - Domaine des Roches Neuves : L'Echelier 2016

Tasting characteristics and advice for L'Echelier 2016 (Thierry Germain - Domaine des Roches Neuves)

Tasting

Color
With a crystalline straw-yellow hue, this wine displays remarkable purity and brilliance.

Nose
The nose is complex and generous, combining freshness and concentration. It opens with aromas of white fruit and citrus, accompanied by delicate floral notes. A chalky mineral dimension adds depth and character to the bouquet.

Palate
The attack on the palate is focused, powerful, and fruit-driven. The palate reveals lovely notes of white fruit and flowers, supported by a remarkable saline tension. The structure is defined by great purity and pronounced minerality. The clean, lingering finish extends the tasting experience with elegance and freshness.

Food and wine pairings
This dry white wine is a perfect match for seafood platters, especially oysters, clams, and mussels. It also pairs beautifully with grilled shellfish, lobster, and spiny lobster. Noble fish with a light sauce, sole meunière, and grilled sea bream make excellent pairings as well. Aged cheeses and scallops round out this gastronomic range in harmony.

Serving and cellaring
L'Echelier 2016 can be enjoyed now and through around 2026. Its structure and minerality give it aging potential, allowing it to develop additional complexity over time.

A Saumur Chenin Blanc of exceptional mineral purity

The estate
Thierry Germain - Domaine des Roches Neuves settled in 1992 in Varrains, in the Loire Valley. Thierry Germain, a sixth-generation winegrower originally from Bordeaux, turned this estate into a benchmark for biodynamics. Today, the property spans 28 hectares divided into 61 plots across the Saumur-Champigny and Saumur appellations. Certified in biodynamics since the 2000s, the estate also practices horse-drawn cultivation on certain plots. Thierry Germain is now joined by his children, Louis and Jeanne, ensuring the continuity of this philosophy focused on respect for living ecosystems and the authentic expression of terroirs.

The vineyard
L'Echelier comes from the Clos de l'Échelier, an emblematic plot located in the commune of Dampierre-sur-Loire, southeast of Saumur. Enclosed by ancient walls and facing the Loire, this clos benefits from an exceptional terroir. The soil is composed of tuffeau, a porous limestone characteristic of the region, resting on Upper Turonian limestone, giving the wine great minerality and remarkable tension. The Chenin Blanc vines are farmed biodynamically, with natural grass cover that promotes biodiversity.

The vintage
The 2016 vintage is defined by lovely freshness and remarkable balance. The weather conditions made it possible to obtain grapes at optimal ripeness, clearly expressing the typicity of the limestone terroir.

Winemaking and aging
The L'Echelier 2016 harvest is carried out by hand, allowing for meticulous berry selection. Pneumatic pressing lasts several hours. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in foudres and large vessels, then aging on fine lees continues for several months, bringing richness and finesse to the palate. The processes are carried out at low temperature in an underground cellar to gently preserve the wine’s aromas.

Grape variety
100% Chenin Blanc.