La Folle Berthe, 2022 Update
Back in the crepuscular and Covid-riddled days of 2021 I spent a couple of weeks in Bordeaux retasting the 2019 vintage from bottle. Keen to make use of the weekend in the middle of my Bordeaux marathon, I headed up to Saumur for two days with a more Ligérian theme.
During the course of the weekend I tasted with at least a dozen vignerons, a mix of familiar names and a few that were new to me. Along the latter was David Foubert (pictured). He was pouring just a handful of wines, but one among them – a striking dry Chenin Blanc from the Fontenelles vineyard – was without a doubt one of the best wines at the tasting, if not the very best.
For this reason I was pleased to meet David again earlier this year, when I once more found myself tasting my way around the Loire Valley. I was able to revisit one or two of the wines I tasted with him in Saumur, as well as expand my knowledge of his domaine and portfolio a little.
The Domaine
La Folle Berthe is one of a number of domaines to have emerged from the ashes of the estate of Philippe Gourdon, who retired a few years ago. Philippe was a firm believer in biodynamic viticulture, a philosophy he adhered to for more than two decades, and his approach in the cellars was one of no intervention. The cohort of young vignerons who picked up various morsels of his vineyards are all disciples of this same belief system. David Foubert is no exception.
