Les Memoires come from a Clos in Dampierre sur Loire that was planted in 1904; the grapes are hand-harvested into small wooden cases and sorted twice before making their way to round-shaped wooden vats where they will macerate (infusion rather than hard extraction) then ferment at a temperature never higher than 24 degrees in order to extract maximum aromas and gentle silky texture. This is a stunning wine, with elegant and subtle nuances of red berry liqueur, freshly cut mint leaves and wild strawberry. The palate is straight, focused and powerful, suggesting the age of the vines and the enormous potential of the terroir.
Lovely flowery notes on the nose, with small red berry, this is followed by delicious, juicy red berry notes on the palate. Ideal with red meat, tartare or game says Thierry.
DOMAINE DES ROCHES NEUVES, THIERRY GERMAIN, Varrains - Certified Biodynamic by Demeter, Natural
Serious wines are produced at this estate run by the charismatic Thierry Germain. His approach is closer to a Burgundy wine-maker than a typical Loire producer. This 50-acre domaine, situated in a superb viticultural location in the appellation of Saumur Champigny, has been a winery since 1850. Germain, from a long line of Bordeaux winemakers, arrived here in 1991, attracted by the region’s perfect balance of grape varietal, climate and terroir, which he considers one of the finest in France.
The vineyard is worked in a natural way with the goal of keeping the vine and the soil at its healthiest and Thierry has become a fully-fledged advocate of biodynamics. The harvest is manual, selecting grapes at their very ripest level. Vinification is handled in small batches with bottling unfined and unfiltered. Germain has garnered praise in the European press for his exciting wines, which are always filled with ripe, generous fruit and supple textures. In 2020, Thierry's son Louis joined the estate after studying oenology and practising in Loire, Bordeaux, Champagne and New Zealand.
Revue du Vin de France – Michel Bettane “One of the elite wine-growers, (Germain) gathers exceptionally ripe grapes which give a unique smoothness and velvety texture to his wines.... One might think that Thierry Germain was going to take a break. Indefatigable, he continues to progress in refining each of his cuvées. All of his wines are superb, but not easy to obtain because the demand for them is so great.”
Painstaking attention to detail: the grapes are selected at optimum maturity to create suave, velvety, plump wines.
Every year we see an evolution in Thierry’s wines. They possess finer bone structure and less obvious oak influence, they challenge the palate with their energy. This is the move to natural winemaking.
'Thierry Germain, Meilleur vigneron de l'année 2011 (Winegrower of the Year) Revue des Vins de France, 2011