2020 Antoine Sanzay Saumur-Champigny La Paterne

WINEMAKER: Antoine Sanzay
REGION: Loire Valley, FR
VARIETAL: Cabernet Franc
VITICULTURE: Certified Organic/Biodynamic

A blend of young and old vines (average 45 years) from five villages representing 5 hectares in total. Hand picked into small crates and carefully sorted in the cellar, like all of Antoine’s fruit. The fruit is destemmed and moved to concrete vats without pumps. Natural yeast fermentation, maceration of around 30 days with very gentle extraction, or “infusion” as Antoine prefers. Aged in unlined concrete for 9 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Antoine moved the domaine over to organic farming from 2009 and is fully certified. He also uses some biodynamic practices. Use of copper, an often criticised practice of organics because it builds up in the soil, is kept to a minimum. On our first visit to the domaine the vineyard adjoining the house was like a meadow of wildflowers with vines growing in it and was alive with the buzz of healthy insect life. The grapes are hand harvested into 25 kilo crates before being transported to the winery for sorting and processing.

Perhaps it is the winemaking that most clearly distinguishes Antoine from other producers in his appellations. He works very close to nature in the cellar adding no yeast, no temperature control and sulphur at a minimum just before bottling, like many in the Loire. However, it is his fermentation philosophies that really set him apart. Antoine is inspired by great burgundies more than any other wine in France, as evidenced by the empty bottles around his cellar. So in his white he seeks lees reduction like the great wines of Meursault and Puligny and in the reds he wants “infusion” rather than extraction during the ferment.