Thierry Germain - Domaine des Roches Neuves : Les Mémoires 2021

Characteristics and tasting tips for Les Mémoires 2021 by Thierry Germain - Domaine des Roches Neuves

Tasting

Appearance

The wine shows a deep, intense ruby red colour with purple highlights.

Nose

The nose shows remarkable aromatic complexity, with notes of black fruit (plum, prune) and floral hints of violet, peony and rose. Chalky, flinty mineral impressions follow, together with spicy touches of liquorice and aniseed and subtle smoky, toasty notes. More discreet aromas of menthol, graphite and pencil lead round off this sophisticated bouquet.

Palate

On the palate, the wine is striking for its silky, refined texture. The tannins are elegant yet present and blend seamlessly into the whole. The wine is medium- to full-bodied, supported by a vibrant acidity that brings freshness and verticality. The balance between alcoholic richness, acidity and tannic backbone is remarkable. It gives the wine a crystalline quality in which each component stays distinct. The long, lingering finish shows a saline, mouthwatering character that recalls the vineyard's flint soils.

Food and wine pairings

This wine is an ideal match for red meat and game. It pairs perfectly with beef tartare, wild boar civet, roast venison or a shoulder of lamb with herbs.

Serving and cellaring

Les Mémoires 2021 is ready to drink now but will keep improving until around 2034, and possibly beyond. Storing it in a temperature-controlled cellar is recommended to preserve its ageing potential.

An exceptional Saumur-Champigny from century-old vines

The estate

The Duveau family founded Domaine des Roches Neuves in 1850. The estate changed dramatically from 1992, when Thierry Germain and his wife Marie took over. Based in Varrains in the Loire Valley, this 28-hectare estate has become a leading name in the Saumur-Champigny appellation. It converted to organic farming in the late 1990s and then to biodynamics, with Biodyvin certification in 2005. Today it ranks among France's finest producers, with three stars in the Guide Vert of La Revue du Vin de France and five stars from Bettane & Desseauve. Thierry Germain was named Winemaker of the Year in France in 2011. He continues a philosophy focused on living soils and the authentic expression of terroir, and his children Louis and Jeanne, the estate's new generation, are gradually joining him.

The vineyard

Les Mémoires comes from an exceptional walled vineyard of around 0.7 to 0.8 hectares in Dampierre-sur-Loire, overlooking the Loire. The Cabernet Franc vines were planted in 1904 and are now almost 120 years old. The terroir consists of Upper Turonian clay-limestone soils with a high proportion of flint, lying over Turonian limestone bedrock. This distinctive geology, combined with the great age of the deep-rooted vines, gives this Saumur-Champigny wine its remarkable minerality and concentration. The vineyard is farmed biodynamically and each vine receives meticulous attention. The focus is on observation and guidance rather than routine intervention.

The vintage

In the Loire Valley, the 2021 vintage was marked by a severe frost in April that hit many vineyards. Despite these difficult conditions, Domaine des Roches Neuves handled the vintage with great precision thanks to rigorous vineyard management. June and July were particularly wet, followed by unsettled weather from mid-July to mid-August. Even so, careful work in the vineyard produced high-quality grapes, and the resulting wines have been hailed as one of the great successes of the vintage.

Vinification and ageing

The grapes for Les Mémoires 2021 are picked by hand into small crates and carefully sorted. The whole, undestemmed bunches are then transferred to truncated-cone concrete vats made by the Austrian cooperative Stockinger. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 16 to 22°C, followed by ten to fifteen days of maceration for a measured, balanced extraction. The wine is then aged for twelve months in large oval foudres. These allow gentle micro-oxygenation while keeping the fruit fresh. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration to preserve its natural integrity.

Grape variety

100% Cabernet Franc