Grapes: Cab Franc
Region: Saumur, Loire, France
Vintage: 2022
Viticulture: Organic
Soils: Clay + Limestone
Vinification: De-stemmed
Aging: Aged for 6 months in stainless steel tanks
Fining or Filtering: Light filtering
Notes from the Importer: In 1996, at the end of a lease cycle, Romain Guiberteau, who was flailing as a law student, decided to take over the management of his family’s vineyards rather than see the leases renewed. The following year, under the mentoring of Clos Rougeard’s Nady Foucault, Romain made 5000 bottles of red wine that he managed to sell easily. The success convinced him to pursue a qualitative approach to winemaking and to gradually take back his grapes from the cooperative.
The domaine is 9.4 hectares (under plantation, there is 12 hectares total), 7 of which are located in the great terroir of Brézé. A little more than half of the surface is planted to Chenin with the remainder planted to Cabernet Franc. Age of vines varies between 4 and 80 years old, with a hefty proportion of old vines. In 2000, Romain converted the vineyards to organic management and in 2003 he began the process towards the AB organic certification, obtaining it in 2007.
In only a few years, Domaine Guiberteau has become one of the most sought after domaines in Saumur, their wines already stringently allocated and found in the best restaurants in France.
