Domaine des Roches Neuves - Thierry Germain - Saumur-Champigny - La Marginale - Red - 2023

Wine:

The 2023 Saumur-Champigny La Marginale Red is Thierry Germain’s most classically styled Cabernet Franc—a confident, grounded expression of the grape. Aged thoughtfully in oak to complement the vibrant, juicy character of the vintage, it shows real energy and depth, with a firm structure built for ageing. This is a radiant, cellar-aged Cabernet Franc with earthy charm and remarkable finesse.

Vinification:

Hand harvested, sorted, fermented in wooden vats with very light pumping over, macerated for 18 to 22 days, aged for 12 months in 228-litre barrels and round casks.

Certified organic and biodynamic wine.

Color:

Intense, brilliant garnet.

Nose:

Aromas of red fruits and spices with a hint of menthol.

Palate:

A standout Cabernet Franc, bursting with vibrant flavours of dark berries and crushed herbs. The tannins are fine and velvety, yet carry real underlying strength. There's clarity, energy, and remarkable finesse here—a cuvée that’s both elegant and full of life.

Temperature:

Decant and serve between 14 and 16°C.

Food and wine pairing:

Beef rib steak, lamb chops marinated in Espelette pepper, oxtail with a spoon, confit quail and grandma's potatoes.

Cellar aging:

From now until 2031

A Loire Valley icon with a prestigious 3-star rating from Revue du Vin de France—France’s leading wine publication—Domaine des Roches Neuves has become a reference point in Saumur. Under the vision of Thierry Germain, now joined by his son Louis and daughter Jeanne, the estate has carved out a distinctive path built on clarity, freshness, and finesse.

Working biodynamically and with a rare instinct for élevage, Germain crafts wines that are truly one-of-a-kind—Cabernet Francs that combine depth and ripeness with floral lift and crunch, thanks to finely judged ageing that brings structure without weight.

With the next generation now fully on board, the future is in expert hands. The latest white releases are radiant and saline, capturing the purest expression of Chenin Blanc on tuffeau limestone. As for the reds, they’re bright, balanced, and razor-sharp—proof that Saumur can deliver both precision and pleasure at the highest level.

This is the Loire Valley at its most inspired.