Thierry Germain - Domaine des Roches Neuves : Franc de Pied 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for Franc de Pied 2023 Thierry Germain - Domaine des Roches Neuves

Tasting

Colour
Red in colour, this wine reveals a ruby and garnet hue, enhanced by cherry and violet highlights that reflect a beautiful vitality.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet opens with floral notes of peony and white flowers, mingled with fresh red fruit aromas such as blueberry and morello cherry. Subtle herbaceous touches, black pepper, and a mineral thread complete this ensemble of great precision.

Palate
The attack is frank and direct, giving way to an airy, crisp, and juicy texture. Carried by lovely freshness and fine, enveloping, slightly grainy tannins, this wine extends into a long mineral finish, punctuated by delicate hints of leather and undergrowth.

Food and wine pairing

This red wine pairs wonderfully with beef tartare, roasted meats such as braised pork tenderloin, or feathered game. It will also perfectly accompany a platter of regional charcuterie or aged goat cheeses.

Service and storage

For optimal tasting, it is recommended to serve this wine between 14 and 16°C, after airing for about thirty minutes. The Franc de Pied 2023 can be enjoyed in its youth but will continue to evolve favourably until around 2031.

Other characteristics

This wine has a moderate alcohol content of 12.5%.

The pure and mineral expression of a great Saumur-Champigny wine

The estate

Founded in 1850 by the Duveau family, the estate is located in Varrains, at the heart of the Loire wine region. Today, Thierry Germain - Domaine des Roches Neuves is run by Thierry Germain himself, alongside his children Louis and Jeanne. Spanning 28 hectares, the estate stands out for its deep commitment to biodynamics and respect for living organisms. Working the soil with animal traction and a minimal-intervention approach in the cellar allow the full richness of the terroirs to be revealed with authenticity and precision.

The vineyard

This Saumur-Champigny "Franc de Pied" cuvée comes from a distinctive 1.5-hectare plot within the Clos de la Folie. The vines, over twenty years old, have the unique characteristic of being ungrafted. They thrive on deep sandy soils resting on a limestone base. Planted at a very high density of 10,000 vines per hectare and trained in goblet form, this vineyard requires exclusively manual soil work, carried out with draft horses.

The vintage

The year allowed for optimal ripeness of the berries. Harvesting began at the precise moment when the grapes reached a perfect balance, thus ensuring the preservation of great vegetal freshness and beautiful mineral tension throughout the growing cycle.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes are hand-harvested in small crates and then rigorously sorted. The Franc de Pied 2023 is vinified as whole clusters in ovoid steel tanks, with strict temperature control between 16 and 22°C. Fermentation is initiated by indigenous yeasts, followed by a moderate maceration of eight to ten days. Aging continues in these same steel tanks in order to preserve aromatic purity. The wine is bottled without filtration or clarification.

Grape variety

100% Cabernet Franc.