Grapes: Cab Franc
Region: Saumur, Loire, France
Vintage: 2019
Viticulture: Organic
Soils: Clay + Sand + Loam + Limestone
Yeasts: Native
Vinification: De-stemmed, no pump overs
Aging: Aged on the lees in stainless steel tanks for 6 months
Fining or Filtering: None
Notes from the Importer: A little over a decade ago, young ex-pat Brendan Stater-West, then working as a waiter in Paris, had an "aha!" moment drinking a bottle of cult-producer Romain Guiberteau's top white, Brézè. Soon after, he talked his way into a job at that venerable Saumur address, where he still works as Guiberteau's assistant winemaker.
Stater-West has been making his own wines in recent years, though, and they're seriously good in their own right. Stylistically, they're somewhat less oaky and tannic that those he makes at Guiberteau, and a bit more delicate and saline.
This budding domaine has access to some truly exceptional terroirs. Astute Loire lovers will recognize the names Ripaille and Brézè – two of Saumur's very best sites for Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc, respectively
