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Antoine Sanzay

It is always a delight to discover a new talent, to find new wines, especially from young and motivated vignerons who are working hard to make a difference to their lot, and as a result to the appellations within which they work. Antoine Sanzay is one such individual. His family are by no means newcomers to viticulture, Antoine being the seventh generation of the Sanzay lineage to tend the family's vines, but whereas his ancestors where happy tilling the soil and selling the grapes to make their living, Antoine has expanded his role considerably, and he now makes, bottles and sells his wine under his own name.

Today Antoine has about 11 hectares of vineyards to tend scattered across the communes of Varrains, where he is based, as well as Dampierre, St-Cyr-en-Bourg and Souzay-Champigny. Most is Cabernet Franc, this variety covering 10.4 hectares, with close to 1.1 hectares of Chenin Blanc alongside. His most prized parcel is a 4 hectare plot of vines in the lieu-dit Les Poyeux, a vineyard best associated with the Foucault brothers of Clos Rougeard, who also bottle a Poyeux cuvée (as do a number of others). All Antoine's vines have been passed on from his grandfather, who for his entire life sold the harvest to the local co-operative. For this reason at present Antoine has just 40% of his harvest to work with, the remainder being contracted to the co-operative until at least 2014. Antoine is, I think, eagerly anticipating the end of this agreement, ever since he kicked off with the rather successful 2002 vintage, a good start. In fact when I asked Antoine to identify his main project for the next few years, he revealed his desire to vinify and bottle all of his harvest in-house.

The vineyards are cultivated along organic lines, eschewing chemical treatments, and the harvest is carried out entirely by hand. The white grapes are pressed and then fermented in oak, the sole cuvée produced being a dry white Saumur Les Salles Martins, of which there are about 2000 bottles per annum. In very rich years as was the case in 2003 there may also be a Coteaux de Saumur, although this was not a cuvée Antoine mentioned when we discussed his portfolio, and it is not regularly produced. The red grapes are fermented in cement vats and then possibly raised in oak, depending on the individual cuvée. There are three such wines, starting with the cuvée domaine, a Saumur-Champigny, of which there are about 13000 bottles per annum. From the outset though the top cuvée has been Antoine's L'Expression using fruit from Les Poyeux, producing about 3500 bottles per annum, but from the 2008 vintage this will be marketed using the name of the lieu-dit. Finally, starting with 2008, Antoine has also produced a pétillant rosé in limited quantities.

The wines here are certainly of good quality and I especially found the 2007 L'Expression to be stunning, one of my favourite wines of everything tasted at the 2009 Salon de Vins de Loire. A product of Les Poyeux, it possesses that same silky finesse which can be found in the wines of Clos Rougeard from the same lieu-dit. Antoine Sanzay is certainly one to watch. (3/3/09)

Contact details:
Address: 19 rue des Roches Neuves, 49400 Varrains
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 41 52 90 08
Fax : +33 (0) 2 41 50 27 39

Antoine Sanzay - Tasting Notes

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Antoine Sanzay Libre Bulles (Vin Mousseux de Qualité) 2009: This is pure Cabernet Franc, zero dosage, non-filtered. The method is essentially ancestrale, meaning a single fermentation started en cuve but then finished in bottle to provide the mousse. A pretty and bright nose, stony, fresh and leafy, with a plentiful mousse. Very lively, more than just pétillant, could show some elegance with time. Drink now for the fruit and fun or leave for a short while to see how that mousse settles down. Tasted at the 2010 Salon. 16/20 (February 2010)

Antoine Sanzay Saumur Blanc Les Salles Martin 2009: From a small lieu-dit of just 0.4 hectares, a site with a thin layer of soil over a deeper limestone. A very minerally nose here, although with a touch of sulphur still. A lovely composition on the palate, bright and fresh, finely styled with lots of defining acidity. Good substance, great nervosity and a breezy, saline style. It needs to shake off the sulphur but should be very fine in time. Tasted at the 2010 Salon. 17-18+/20 (February 2010)

Antoine Sanzay Saumur-Champigny 2009: The domaine cuvée, from clay-limestone soils, fermented in cement. Vibrant fruit on the nose, stony, fabulously pure, clean and stylish, crunchy cherry. The palate is more softly textured than these words suggest, even a little silkiness here, this already has wonderful harmony. A gentle style with svelte tannins, this could be drunk now it is so delicious. Tasted at the 2010 Salon. 16-17+/20 (February 2010)

Antoine Sanzay Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeux 2009: Only just gone into oak one week ago after completing fermentation. Despite this recent handling it has evocative fruit on the nose, fine and vibrant, with a pure and intense vein of fresh raspberry. A rather sooty edge on the palate, structured and ripe, extracted but with an appealing silky quality to the fruit. Despite that sooty grip it has a good finesse, but also fine substance. Lovely potential here. Tasted at the 2010 Salon. 17-18+/20 (February 2010)

Antoine Sanzay Saumur Blanc Les Salles Martin 2008: A lightly honeyed nose here, clean and stylish. Beautifully textured, gently polished, very well defined. Lots of gritty substance, good grip and acidity, clean and sappy, with a fine tension running right through to the finish. A really admirable style here. Tasted at the 2010 Salon. 17.5+/20 (February 2010)

Antoine Sanzay Saumur-Champigny 2008: The domaine cuvée, vinified in cement, then 10 months in oak. An evolving and slightly gamey nose here, certainly stylish, quite rich and enticing. The palate is just so fine; pure in texture with lovely flesh, great balance, with lots of nicely poised tannin in the background. There is a good, stony minerality to it as well. Very impressive. I like this much more this year than I did last year. Tasted at the 2010 Salon. 17.5+/20 (February 2010)

Antoine Sanzay Saumur-Champigny 2008: Here there is a mix of clay and calcareous soils, 100% Cabernet Franc, harvested at 35 hl/ha, fermented in cement. This sample has completed malolactic fermentation. There is sweet and ripe fruit on the nose, with an attractive and pure character. Elegant but also seeming appealingly ripe on the palate, but still showing a very firm acidity. The fruit has a pure, black cherry style, but with a stony, delineated style. Lots of structure, but not too fat or over-ripe. An attractive wine. 15.5-16.5+/20 (February 2009)

Antoine Sanzay Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeux 2008: This wine is now finished and in bottle, just 3000 available. Amazing fruit on the nose, essence of macerated cherries. This same character comes through on the palate, very very concentrated, elegantly creamed fruit, a blending of richness and finesse. A super texture, great backbone of tannins, fine in character, substantial too. A wonderful grand vin and a very pure homage to Cabernet Franc in all its glory. Excellent. Like the domaine cuvée, showing much better this year. Tasted at the 2010 Salon. 18.5+/20 (February 2010)

Antoine Sanzay Saumur-Champigny Les Poyeux 2008: This cuvée replaces L'Expression from the 2008 vintage onwards. It was harvested at 25-30 hl/ha, fermented in cement, with malolactic, which hasn't yet finished in the 2008, in cuve and in oak. Antoine expects this wine to see out eighteen months in two-year-old barrels before bottling. The wine has a bright and red hue, with sweet and aromatic fruit on the nose, with a pure and dark character. It seems quite lean at present, with very primary fruit, and bright and stony acidity. Part of this reflects the unfinished malolactic. This will be a very good wine when completed I think. 16-17+/20 (February 2009)

Antoine Sanzay Saumur Blanc Les Salles Martin 2007: This 100% Chenin Blanc wine comes from fruit grown on calcareous soils, hand-harvested at 30 hl/ha and fermented in oak. The nose is young, fresh and clean, and there is a good, spicy freshness to the palate with lots of good acidity. It has a low level of minerals, slightly papery fruit, but a nice, slightly grippy finish. This is good. 15.5/20 (February 2009)

Antoine Sanzay Saumur-Champigny L'Expression 2007: This cuvée is sourced from old vines in Les Poyeux, fermented in cement and then raised in oak for up to fifteen months. This is thus still a barrel sample, and is scheduled to go into bottle on May 5th 2009. It has a fabulous nose, with beautifully elegant and dancing fruits; crunchy raspberry, plum and blackcurrant. This is very attractive. There is a pureness on the palate, which is well defined and stylish. Rich and yet balanced, with vibrancy too. A delicious wine. 17.5-18+/20 (February 2009)

Antoine Sanzay Coteaux de Saumur 2003: This wine is from old vines on chalky soils, harvested with three tries, fermented over a six month period and then élevé sur lie for eight months in oak. It has a lemon-gold hue, and a nose of crystalline fruit, pineapple, pastries and herbs. Quite pure and defined on the palate, rich and creamy but with a vivacious bright character, this has a fine and pervasive presence. The end is crisp and clipped but there is still an appealing, lingering finish. Very good. From my summer 2008 Loire wine tasting notes. 16.5/20 (July 2008)