2018 Thierry Germain (Roches Neuves), Saumur-Champigny Rouge, Clos de l'Echelier

Thierry Germain’s meticulous approach at Domaine des Roches Neuves centers on an intimate understanding of his parcels, employing strict biodynamic farming to ensure vine health and physiological ripeness. The Clos de l'Echelier, a 1. 4-hectare site in Dampierre-sur-Loire, is defined by exceptionally shallow topsoil—a mix of clay, silt, and sand—resting directly upon *craie verte*, a middle-Turonian tuffeau chalk with high glauconitic and micaceous content. In the cellar, Germain rejects heavy extraction in favor of gentle infusion, fermenting in wooden vats before aging the wine in vertical oval foudres, a vessel choice intended to mirror the site’s linear, vertical structural profile. The 2018 vintage, characterized by a hot, dry summer, provided the necessary ripeness to flesh out this cuvée’s naturally tight framework. The resulting Cabernet Franc balances this solar energy with the persistent tension and mineral-driven density inherent to the site’s chalk bedrock.