2024 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc, Loire Valley, France
Regular price $45.00
Unit price per
100% Chenin Blanc
Founded at the beginning of the 20th century by Clément Manguin, Romain’s great grandfather, the domaine was then passed on to Clément’s son in law, Robert Guiberteau, a talented winemaker and one of the founding members of the cave cooperative of Saumur. In 1954, recognizing the great potential of this terroir, Robert purchased several hectares on the hill of Brézé, in particular the Clos des Carmes, considered by legendary gourmet Curnonsky as one of the grand crus of the Loire Valley. When Robert retired in 1976 none of his children wanted to take over and the domaine was farmed out.
In 1996, at the end of a lease cycle, Romain Guiberteau, who was flailing as a law student, decided to take over the management of his family’s vineyards rather than see the leases renewed. The following year, under the mentoring of Clos Rougeard’s Nady Foucault, Romain made 5,000 bottles of red wine that he managed to sell easily. The success convinced him to pursue a qualitative approach to winemaking and gradually take back his grapes from the cooperative.
In only a few years, Domaine Guiberteau has become one of the most sought after domaines in Saumur, their wines already stringently allocated and found in the best restaurants in France. His wines are brilliantly minerally, assertive, Chenins that taste like no other, and one of our favorites every year.
His Saumur Blanc is from vines lanted between 1935 and 2012, pressed with whole clusters and fermented with amient yeast. Romain black malolactic conversion and ages up to 10 months on the lees in stainless and foudre.