domaine roches neuves clos de l'echelier rouge 2016

"in varrains, 5km from brine, the new rocks area is located in the heart of the loire valley. the vineyard, very fragmented, is composed of 61 plots of land covering 28 hectares in the appellation saumur champigny, for red wines, and saumur, for white wines. limestone (tuffeau) is the strength of our soil; this porous rock stores moisture in order to redistribute it in times of severe drought. the influence of the loire, its tributary and the fontevraud forest creates a real microclimate. the alternation of calcareous, sandy and clay soils represents a diversity of terroirs offering endless possibilities with the two unique grape varieties present on the estate: cabernet franc and chenin. created in 1850 by the duveau family, thierry and marie germain took over the estate in 1991. initially covering 12 hectares of cabernet franc, the estate was expanded by 2 hectares of chenin and 8 hectares of cabernet franc in 1996. in 2012, the vineyard was enriched with new plots: the closing of the scale and the memories. at the same time, the estate was completely converted into organic farming in the late 1990s and then into biodynamic farming in the early 2000s. this cuvée is made in the town of dampierre sur loire where the soil is shallow (40 cm) directly overlooking the limestone. thierry germain, constantly improving on the quality of his wines, decides to spread this terroir to sublimate it; the first bottle is born in 2012. made from 100% cabernet franc, scraped and raised in stockinger trunks. the colour is bright red, with violet reflections. the nose is expressed on notes of fresh red fruits, strawberries, raspberries, cherries. the bouquet reveals predominantly chalky notes, revealing a great mineral purity. the mouth is smooth, ample, with a nice tension. the finish is long, persistent and crystalline."