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Domaine des Roches Neuves

Even the briefest examination of the story of Domaine des Roches Neuves will soon uncover a name which is without doubt familiar to Winedoctor readers and all other acolytes of Ligérian wine. The name in question is Germain, the same Germain family that crops up in the story of one of the leading names in Bonnezeaux, Château de Fesles, and also in my account of near-neighbour Château de la Roulerie. In the case of the former it is the elder statesman Bernard, the father, and in the latter it is showman and dynamo Philippe, one of Bernard's sons. And at Roches Neuves it is the pioneer Thierry, another of Bernard's sons, that we encounter.

It is the case in many wine dynasties that where the father leads, the sons (or indeed daughters of course, although that is not the case here) will follow, but with the Germains that natural sequence of events was turned on its head. For this is not a family with deep roots in the Loire, having only been here for a few generations. They came here from Bordeaux, and it was not Bernard but in fact Thierry who led the way.

The Germains of Bordeaux and the Loire

The Germain dynasty began with Vincent Saincrit, a rural miller-turned-vigneron, a change in profession no doubt prompted by his residing amongst the vineyards of Bordeaux. Through his activities and those of his descendents (the blood line running through to the modern day Germains through the women of the family, hence the change in name) the family's portfolio of properties grew. And even though they have long since expanded their reach to the Loire, with both Thierry and Philippe now settled in at their respective domaines, the Germain family continue to exploit five estates located around the old Blaye and Bourg appellations, now collectively known as the Côtes de Bordeaux of course.

Thierry Germain (pictured right) made the move away from the Gironde to the Loire Valley in 1991, taking possession of Domaine des Roches Neuves in Varrains, just on the outskirts of Saumur. Shortly afterwards he was followed by his father, Bernard, although in his case it might be more appropriate to say he came up to the Layon rather than the Loire, as of all the estates he purchased Bernard Germain was perhaps best known for his tenure of Château de Fesles. He acquired this estate from the renowned pastry chef Gaston Lenôtre in what seems like a bulk deal which also saw him take possession of Château de Varennes in Savennières as well as Château de la Guimonière and the aforementioned Château de la Roulerie, the latter two both firmly tied to the Anjou-Layon appellations. Although Bernard's possession of Fesles was relatively short-lived in the grand scheme of things, presumed financial difficulties resulting in its sale to the négociant group Grands Chais de France in 2008, the rest of the family seem to be having more success at their respective domaines. Philippe has settled in well at Roulerie, and has set about consolidating and then expanding his domaine. Meanwhile Thierry remains firmly ensconced at Roches Neuves; during his twenty-or-so years here his ethos and style of winemaking has exhibited a gradual evolution, his red wines shifting from a robust, concentrated, tannic and oaked style that harked of Thierry's Bordeaux origins more than the Loire, to wines that show a greater purity with more silky structures. And this being the Loire Thierry hasn't shied away from the exploration and experimentation for which the region has justly become renowned; he first added a white cuvée to his portfolio, and more recently he has entered into partnerships with local vignerons to work on new projects such as a sparkling zero-dosage wine. In the vineyards he has tried his hand at both organic and biodynamic viticulture, and he has also very recently added a Saumur-Champigny cuvée from ungrafted vines to his portfolio. Thierry is innovating and motivating, and has long left behind any suggestion that his wines are stuffy, stuck-in-the-mud Bordeaux hangovers; today this is one of the most exciting domaines to visit around Saumur.

Roches Neuves: The Vines and Wines

From early on Thierry began working his 22 hectares of vines using organic methods, but the domaine has been certified as fully biodynamic since the 2005 vintage (Biodyvin certification). He has more than 30 parcels of vines scattered across the Saumur and Saumur-Champigny appellations, some of which I allude to in my rundown of his portfolio below.

There are three red cuvées at the heart of the Roches Neuves portfolio, the entry level wine domaine bottling, Terres Chaudes and Marginale. The first of this trio is produced from vines on the tuffeau limestone of the region, with a mix of sandy and clay-limestone soils above, located to the southeast of Saumur in the Saumur, Varrains and Chaintres communes. These are 25 year-old vines, inter-planted with grass, and harvested typically at 50 hl/ha. The fruit is picked into small boxes before going over a sorting table, followed by transport to the cellars where 30% will see a cold soak at 10ºC for three days prior to fermentation, to aid extraction of colour and tannin portion. Then the must is fermented in stainless steel with the temperature regulated to between 16 and 22ºC, rising to 24ºC at the end. Thereafter there is a 24-day cuvaison followed by an élevage which involves a mix of stainless steel and oak. The resulting wine gives a good indication of the domaine's style, rich in colour and flavour, but with a steely-stony edge.

The first wine from Thierry Germain I ever tasted was the Terres Chaudes, a Saumur-Champigny cuvée produced from 35-45 year-old vines on the slopes of Poyeux and the lieu-dit Dares near Chaintres. The terroir here is tuffeau limestone once again, but with predominantly clay and limestone soils, with alternate ploughing and interplanting of grass between the vine rows. After green harvesting the eventual yield is 35 hl/ha. As with the domaine cuvée there is picking into small crates and careful sorting, but in the cellar the fruit has been fermented in cement since the 2006 vintage, beginning with a maceration lasting between two and five days, but once the indigenous yeasts take hold the temperature is held between 15 and 22ºC. The cap is submerged by a twice-daily pigeage, until the fermentation gets going at least. The élevage, for 2009 at least, involves 60-hectolitre oak vats rather than the much smaller second-hand Marginale barrels Germain once favoured, thereby lessening the translation of oak into the wine in more recent vintages, a very positive move in my opinion. The finished wine is bottled without fining or filtration.

Finally, as far as this red trio is concerned, comes La Marginale, sourced from vines around Chacé and Varrains (so very close to the domaine itself), in particular from the well-known lieu-dit les Poyeux. The bedrock here is turonien limestone, with clay-limestone soils above, and the slope is south-facing and therefore favourable. The yield is very low, typically 25 hl/ha, and although as with the other cuvées the fruit is transported and carefully sorted it is also destemmed prior to fermentation in wood. There is a short period of soaking with pigeage before the indigenous yeasts kick in, and a longer maceration afterwards, leading into malolactic fermentation. The élevage is in wood, a mix of 228-litre and 400-litre French oak barrels. This will be for between 18 and 24 months, before bottling. His top cuvée, this is not a wine that is produced in every vintage.

There is one further red cuvée to interest us, that being the recently introduced Franc de Pied, a Saumur-Champigny made from a tiny 0.2-hectare plot of vines established on their own roots rather than American rootstock. Naturally it is a wine produced in very limited quantities and has a price to match the work involved, and I suspect the anticipated brief lifespan of the vines in question, so it won't be a commonly encountered bottle for many I think. Looking beyond the reds to Thierry's other wines, in 1996 he started off down the road towards the production of a white wine to complement his reds with the purchase of a plot of 75-year old Chenin Blanc vines near Saumur. The soils here have a clay-limestone character interspersed with sandstone, flint and alluvial silt, and the rows of vines are interplanted with grass and tended according to biodynamic principles. The fruit is picked by hand in several tries for Thierry's only white cuvée, L'Insolite, the relevant yields often incredibly low - 18 hl/ha would not be out of the ordinary. The fruit is then transported to the cellar where it is pressed using pneumatic equipment, followed by a slow fermentation in a mix of 400-litre and 228-litre barriques, one-third one-year old and two-thirds two-years old. For the subsequent élevage the wine is subsequently transferred into larger, 1200-litre casks, a process which will again reduce the influence of oak, and Germain also feels it will preserve the minerality in the wine (something which I have also heard said at Roulerie - are these guys related?). After a further twelve months on its lees the finished wine is finally bottled.

More recent additions to Thierry's range include the non-vintage Saumur Bulles de Roche, the result of a project led by Thierry and fellow vigneron Michel Chevré. This is a non-vintage blend of hand-harvested Chenin Blanc in the main, this variety accounting for 90%, with just 5% each Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. The fruit receives a gentle pneumatic pressing before fermentation in a mix of one- and two-year old oak barrels previously used for the aforementioned L'Insolite cuvée. The second fermentation is in bottle, as per the méthode traditionelle, before dégorgement à la glace and - naturally - zero dosage. Overall the whole process takes about 12 months, so the eventual wine should still be packed with the vibrant fruit flavours of youth. In my experience this is certainly the case.

Roches Neuves Opinion

In my original Roches Neuves profile I wrote that "I remain eager to be convinced" regarding the wines of this domaine; my concern then was the rather robust and oak-influenced style, more oak than the fruit could cope with I felt. But in the years that have passed since I wrote that first account of Thierry Germain and his wines there have been many positive developments at Roches Neuves, and happily these days I can report that I am convinced. Looking at the 'core' wines to start with, the domaine cuvée, Terres Chaudes and La Marginale trio discussed above, these are firm and flavoursome examples of the Saumur-Champigny appellation. Thierry's use of oak has been reined in, and there has been a lot of attention to fruit quality, as evinced by his conversion to biodynamic practices in the vineyard. Together these two moves have brought the wines into a much greater balance, and as a result not only are the red wines now of exceptional quality, they speak much more of the Loire than they used too. Add in Thierry's delicious white L'Insolite, and the delightfully fun Bulles de Roche, the Domaine des Roches Neuves suddenly looks like a real go-to destination in Saumur. (18/4/06, updated 9/11/10)

Contact details:
Address: 56 Boulevard Saint-Vincent, 49400 Varrains
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 41 52 94 02
Fax: +33 (0) 2 41 52 49 30
Internet: www.rochesneuves.com

Domaine des Roches Neuves - Tasting Notes

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Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny 2009: This entry-level cuvée has a lovely, deep and expressive nose, full of rich fruit. The palate is divine, a balanced fruit cream with ripe and pure, velvety tannins. A fabulously complete style, rich in ripe and textured fruit. For the domaine Saumur-Champigny this has an incredible style. 16-17+/20 (February 2010)

Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny Terres Chaudes 2009: Produced from old vines grown on a south/south-east-facing plot. Malolactic not 100% finished at present. Tense, dark, concentrated fruit on the nose. A very cool style on the palate, very fine and complex with defined fruit, dark and very linear, with lots of ripe, clinging tannins. Great extraction here, with lots of svelte substance for the tannins to hide in. This is superb - but it warrants a good stay in the cellar for it to show its full potential. 17-18+/20 (February 2010)

Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny Franc de Pied 2009: From a 0.2-hectare plot of ungrafted vines. Still showing some sulphur on the nose at present. Aromatic, dense fruit behind the sulphur, and there is a fine definition of flavour on the palate also. A lovely substance here, elegant but broad and defined, aromatic and floral. Not total harmony here, a touch awkward at present, but it may come together with time. 16-17+?/20 (February 2010)

Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur Blanc L'Insolite 2008: From 75-year old vines. Pure, clean and linear on the nose with well-defined and tight fruit and a very crisp style. A lovely fresh character on the palate, a polished texture, harmonious with great acid backbone. The midpalate has good breadth, showing great tension and definition leading into a rather nervous finish. Super wine. 17+/20 (February 2010)

Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny La Marginale 2008: A fine perfume on the nose here, bright and floral, elegant with a stony edge. This has superb style. A beautiful palate too, almost silky on entry, with plenty of firm tannins behind. A very strong, clinging structure, overall a gorgeous composition, elegant and fine. This would be very good now with food, but will be better with a little more time when the tannins have integrated. 16.5-17.5+/20 (February 2010)

Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur Blanc L'Insolite 2007: This wine has a fine, rich, straw-gold hue in the glass. The nose is fascinating, starting off with a note of cooked apples, but this instantly fades, still leaving a sweet but fresh apple note, a juxtaposition of green apple skin with sweet, vibrant flesh. Alongside there are plump, golden fruit notes, tinges of minerals and a suggestion of caramel richness. A lovely, sappy, juicy style on the palate right from the start, with a great acid backbone. Thereafter the midpalate just builds and builds to a sweet apple-skin character set in a dry, broad and substantial frame, with a lot of texture over a lightly grippy core. Over a period of a few hours it really firms up, showing a firm and powerful character dressed with hints of lime. The finish is very long, with pure and detached fruit. This is great wine, which can be enjoyed now or left alone in the cellar for a number of years. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 17.5+/20 (February 2010)

Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny 2007: I must confess I have fairly low expectations of reds from this vintage, but there are good wines out there. This one certainly has some promise, showing a good depth of colour in the glass, quite a dense black cherry hue too. On the nose there are some dark fruits with a rather savoury edge. The palate starts off in quite a supple style, then showing more structure, but this never dominates, even though the fruit has a very reserved style and the wine itself a sinewy rather than fleshy texture. That savoury edge comes through on the palate again, backed up by a vein of ripe tannins, and a sappy, juicy-sour acidity. A very attractive wine in a difficult vintage, showing once again the skill of Thierry Germain. From an Artisan Wines tasting. 16+/20 (May 2009)

Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur Blanc L'Insolite 2006: A rather refined nose here, not expressing much interest though. A little minerality, and a lovely weight on the palate. It has nice definition but not a lot of character, but underneath there is lovely structure and fine potential. It seems a little awkwardly composed at the moment, but this holds promise. From the 2008 France Under One Roof event. 16.5+?/20 (March 2008)

Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny 2006: This wine has a vibrant hue, with a moderately deep colour which is obviously youthful. On the nose there are touches of smoke, seashells and sea salt, along with complex raspberry and cherry fruit, as well as a little complex meat, particularly bacon. The palate is lean but full of flavour, quite sappy and juicy, mouth-watering in fact. This is in part due to a firm acidic structure, a nice grip and bite, and certainly a good coating of tannin on the finish. It has that lovely, stony, cherry-stone texture that makes good Saumur-Champigny so interesting to drink, but although exuberant and showing an attractive, rounded texture through the midpalate, it still has that reserved, fresh and flavoursome character. Very tasty. From an Artisan Wines tasting. 16.5/20 (April 2006)

Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny Terres Chaudes 2004: A gorgeously deep colour, this wine being surprisingly like the 2003 in appearance; a profound, deep, youthful, purple hue with an almost blue rim. Fleeting glimpses of an acetic acid note on the nose, giving a high-toned edge, with a muted blackberry-cherry character. Nice entry, although with a fairly lean texture. A thin seam of tannin provides a little grip, although there is a note of slightly raw alcohol which distracts. It develops a rather more settled, integrated character through the midpalate. Unfussy drinking. 14.5/20 (April 2006)

Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny Terres Chaudes 2003: Deep, intense, impressive, youthful purple. This youth is also evident on the nose, which shows a wealth of primary black cherry and damson fruit aromas, with a little twist of tobacco. Warm, ripe, expansive palate, showing plenty of conserve black fruit, but not huge or jammy. Decent acidity, although on the low side, together with soft, ripe tannins which mean this wine should improve over the next 1-2 years, although it's eminently enjoyable now. A success, in a successful vintage. From my Loire Extravaganza. 16.5+/20 (August 2005)

Tasting notes are ordered by date of tasting, most recent first. I have tried to indicate whether it is a tasting of a new release, or of a wine I have cellared.

Thierry Germain & Michel Chevré Saumur Bulles de Roches NV: A wine with quite an intriguing and impressive lemon-gold hue in the glass, with an incredibly fine bead giving it a very gentle, bone-white surface coating of bubbles. On the nose there is superb minerality, suggestive of powdery-salty rocks, twisted with citrus zest and aromatic herbs. It very much speaks of the Loire. And on the palate it is very dry as we would expect with zero dosage, although it possesses a nice flesh which runs throughout the palate, with a fine but broad pétillance reflecting the character seen in the glass. Remarkably bold and firm here, like a mouthful of pebbles rubbed with a mix of salt, pepper and lemon zest; a superb food wine with a slightly savoury-sour character conveyed by the acidity, which has a real not-for-the-faint-hearted crab-apple intensity to it. Wonderful stuff. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 17/20 (November 2010)

Thierry Germain & Michel Chevré Saumur Bulles de Roches NV: Current release at the time of tasting (with the brain-vine label as shown here) which I believe is the second release. This is a non-dosé cuvée, 90% Chenin Blanc with 5% each of Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. A huge and very evocative nose, showing massive minerality with smoky, struck-flint fruit, although it is also still showing some sulphur. A lovely, full character on the palate, appropriate flesh, great acidity and substance. An admirable, fruit and mineral-rich style which is full of personality. Buy now and drink now! 17.5/20 (February 2010)