2022 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc, Loire Valley, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

Clay, limestone soil from lower on hill in Brézé (older vines) and Clos des Carmes and Clos Guichaux (younger vines).

Grapes are farmed organically and harvested by hand and carefully sorted in the vineyard.

Whole-cluster pressing, indigenous yeast fermentation, no chaptalization. Aged on fine lees in stainless steel tank until the spring, light filtration.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

The Guiberteau family has been growing grapes in the region of Saumur for more than one hundred years and has played a central role in the area’s viticulture throughout. Romain’s great-grandfather began purchasing vineyard sites in the area before WWI. His grandmother and grandfather continued, building not only a significant amount of land in the families name, but also leading the area towards more efficient production. Romain’s grandfather served as the Mayor of their town and founded and ran the first cooperative for grapes in the area, dramatically improving the price farmers were paid for their harvest. Romain Guiberteau and his father have reinvented the estate, starting in the mid 1990’s when Romain abandoned a career in law to return to his roots. Select vineyards within the families holdings were pulled away from production for the Coop and converted to organic agriculture in Romain’s first year back.