Domaine des Roches Neuves: Red Wines
Before looking at the individual cuvées it is possible to make some generalisations about winemaking at Domaine des Roches Neuves. Fermentation tends to be of whole bunches, and is carried out by the naturally present yeast population throughout, with no addition of cultured yeast. The macerations are much shorter than they once were, with ten days being fairly typical today, whereas previously thirty would have been commonplace. Extraction is less of a concern for Thierry today, and so he has reined in his use of remontage and pigeage where appropriate. This is not a zero-added-sulphites domaine, but additions of sulphites are – as you would expect – certainly limited, and they are only added after completion of malolactic fermentation, at a dose of perhaps 20 mg/l. Thierry adheres to scrupulously clean methods in order to protect the wine, and this includes bottling under a vacuum.
Although Thierry started out with a focus on red wines, a white cuvée L’Insolite soon appeared in the portfolio, and others followed. These days his top white wines are certainly some of his most exciting. Nevertheless, I begin here with the red wines, all of which have the Saumur-Champigny appellation.
There are three red cuvées at the heart of the Domaine des Roches Neuves portfolio, an entry-level Saumur-Champigny, and two superior cuvées, Terres Chaudes and La Marginale.
Please log in to continue reading: