2020 Domaine du Collier, Saumur Rouge, La Ripaille

Antoine Foucault farms his Cabernet Franc parcels in the La Ripaille lieu-dit of Brézé with a rigor centered on soil health, eschewing synthetic inputs to encourage deep root penetration into the site's signature tuffeau bedrock. In the cellar, his approach is defined by minimal intervention, relying on native yeast fermentation followed by an extended, undisturbed élevage of up to 36 months in a cold, subterranean environment. The 2020 vintage, characterized by an early, warm growing season, provided the phenolic maturity necessary to balance the inherent structural intensity of this terroir. The resulting wine is built on a frame of fine-grained, persistent tannins and firm acidity, delivering a precise, mineral-driven expression of its limestone origin. This combination of site-specific stewardship and slow, reductive aging yields a profile defined by structural tension and significant potential for longevity.