Domaine des Roches Neuves - Thierry Germain - Saumur - L'Echelier - White - 2023

Wine:

A true hidden gem, the 2023 Saumur L’Echelier White is a masterclass in precision and purity. It strikes a beautiful balance between tension and finesse, leading to a mouthwatering, mineral-driven finish. With its radiant salinity and chiselled structure, this is a wine that perfectly embodies the estate’s signature style—vibrant, focused, and utterly compelling.

Vinification:

Hand harvested, alcoholic fermentation in 600 litre oval barrels, aged for 9 months on delicate lees.

Certified organic and biodynamic wine.

Color:

Bright straw yellow.

Nose:

Intense floral, fruity and citrus notes.

Palate:

This cuvée delivers a bold, focused palate, with vibrant flavours of ripe stone fruit and a striking saline brightness that brings definition and tension. It’s a wine of depth, clarity, and mineral-driven precision.

Temperature:

Serve between 10 and 12°C.

Food and wine pairing:

Fish in cream sauce, grilled sea bream, white meats.

Cellar aging:

From now until 2030

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.