2022 Arnaud Lambert Saumur "Clos de Midi", Brézé, Loire Valley, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

100% Chenin Blanc. Pressed with whole clusters, fermented with a cultured yeast from the vineyard, 2-3-week fermentation and aging for 9 months, 70% in steel tank and 30% in concrete eggs, spontaneous and partial malolactic conversion (0-30%), SO2 added after malolactic conversion and before bottling (50-70 ppm total), filtered, stored in bottles for 3-9 months before release. From Brézé, south and east-facing, 70 cm deep silty-sandy-clay topsoil on softer Turonian limestone rock.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

While soft-spoken and humble, Arnaud Lambert is helping to drive a revolutionary movement in the appellations of Saumur and Saumur-Champigny. The goal is to re-discover each individual terroir and its potential through organic viticulture and less-is-more, precise winemaking. This is particularly important considering 70% of the surface area in Brézé and Saint Cyr belongs to the cooperatives, where branding and blending prevail, and mass-produced crémants dominate.

Brézé is a unique site due to its relatively high elevation and eminently nuanced geological profile. The significant presence of tuffeau, (a porous, chalky limestone also used in the construction of much of the Loire’s Renaissance architecture) results in finely mineral Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Clay and sand also lend themselves to the diversity of the terroirs, giving body to the reds and richness to the whites. Arnaud’s driving ambition is to truly understand and reveal the distinctions within this extraordinary appellation.

2017 marked an exciting transition for fans of Arnaud’s captivating wines when he united his cuvées from both Brézé (20ha) and Saint Cyr en Bourg (20ha) under one label: Domaine Arnaud Lambert. The Saint Cyr wines come from Domaine Saint-Just, which was founded by Arnaud’s father Yves in 1996 when Arnaud was still getting his viticulture and oenology degree. The father/son team began working together in 2005, and in 2009, they also became managers of the viticultural estate of the Château de Brézé. (The château is not only a UNESCO World Heritage site, but also a historically important reference in French fine wine: royals used to exchange these wines annually for Château d’Yquem Sauternes.) The same year they began to work the Château vines, Yves and Arnaud also began converting all of their vineyards to organic, and were officially certified in 2012. This movement stemmed first and foremost from the desire to express the terroir of each individual Clos in its purest, most vibrant form.