Winemaker Notes
From their perch in a vineyard overlooking the Loire River, the ancient Cabernet Franc vines that go into Thierry Germain’s Les Mémoires sit deeply rooted in the Loire valley’s signature limestone tuffeau. My tasting note included the phrase “rapturous raspberry fruit,” which now looks a bit silly in the harsh light of my computer screen, but really does describe the vividness of my impression. And not only raspberries, but blood orange, fine tannins, and incredible minerality. The stone that once built a château now fills bottles.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Saumur Champigny Les Mémoires, a remarkable rendition of this cuvée crafted from an exceptional terroir situated in Dampierre-sur-Loire, possesses a deep, complex bouquet of menthol, blueberries, peony, spices and dark berries intertwined with lead pencil with aeration in the glass. It's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, tense and powerful. While it presents a somewhat austere character underscored by structured tannins, patience and aging in the cellar will undoubtedly enhance its qualities.
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.
Marked by great châteaux built with the same tuffeau limestone that is also responsible for the excavation of so many of the famed Loire caves, Saumur is famous for its Chenin blanc based sparkling wines. Inside the Saumur region, Saumur-Champigny creates some of the Loire’s greatest Cabernet Francs.