Thierry Germain - Domaine des Roches Neuves - Saumur Champigny - Clos de l'Echelier 2020 Bouteille (75cl)
The 2020 Clos de l’Echelier from Domaine des Roches Neuves, signed by Thierry Germain, is a Saumur-Champigny red wine crafted from 100% Cabernet Franc. This single-parcel cuvee comes from an Upper Turonian clay-limestone terroir where shallow soils—ranging from 30 to 50 cm above the bedrock—define the identity of the site. The grapes are hand-harvested, completely destemmed, and vinified in truncated wooden vats with a 10-to-18-day maceration. The estate describes a profile of cherry and strawberry, underpinned by a full, smooth, and refined palate.
La bouteille proposée
- Size
- Bottle (75cl)
- Label Condition
- Perfect
- Fill Level
- Perfect
- Capsule Condition
- Perfect
Identité du vin
- Couleur
- Red
- Pays
- France
- Région
- Loire
- Appellation
- Saumur
- Producteur / Domaine
- Domaine des Roches Neuves
- Cuvée
- Clos de l'Echelier
- Millésime
- 2020
Domaine des Roches Neuves
Located in Varrains, five kilometers from Saumur, Domaine des Roches Neuves spans 28 hectares divided across 61 plots. Thierry and Marie Germain craft white Saumur wines from Chenin Blanc and Saumur-Champigny reds from Cabernet Franc, offering a plot-by-plot interpretation of the tuffeau soils. Their son Louis, who returned to the estate in 2020, now contributes to the continuity of this biodynamically farmed property.
- Owner
- Thierry et Marie Germain
- Surface (ha)
- 28.00 ha
- Production (average bottles per vintage)
- 120000
Histoire du domaine
Domaine des Roches Neuves was established in 1850 by the Duveau family. Thierry Germain, coming from six generations of Bordeaux winemakers, and his wife Marie took over the estate in 1991, which then comprised 12 hectares of Cabernet Franc. In 1996, they expanded it with an additional 8 hectares of Cabernet Franc and 2 hectares of Chenin Blanc. The vineyard was fully converted to organic farming in the late 1990s, followed by biodynamics in the early 2000s. In 2002, Thierry Germain partnered with nurseryman Lilian Bérillon to create a private conservatory of Cabernet Franc intended for future massal selections. The estate's holdings were further enriched in 2012 with Clos de l'Échelier and Les Mémoires. Louis Germain, the eldest son of Thierry and Marie, joined the estate with his partner Agathe in 2020 and has progressively taken on more responsibilities alongside his parents.
Clos de l'Echelier
Clos de l’Échelier is a single-plot red Saumur-Champigny cuvée made from Cabernet Franc. It comes from an enclosed vineyard with a clay-limestone terroir of Upper Turonian, where the bedrock lies beneath a shallow layer of soil. The estate distinguishes it with a dedicated vinification in truncated conical vats.
- Origin of the cuvée name
- The name comes from Clos de l’Échelier, a historic walled vineyard located in Dampierre-sur-Loire overlooking the Loire.
- Cuvée creation year
- 2012
- Style of the cuvée
- An elegant and slender Saumur-Champigny, characterized by vibrant red fruits, a broad and smooth palate, as well as a fresh and chalky expression.
- Position within the range
- Single-plot terroir cuvée among the estate's high-end parcel selections.
Histoire de la cuvée
Thierry and Marie Germain acquired the parcels of Clos de l’Échelier in 2012. The 2012 vintage is documented as the first for this single-plot cuvée, marketed separately since then by Domaine des Roches Neuves.
