Les Chapaudaises is located in the Bizay terroir of the small village of Épieds, within half a kilometre of Saumur’s prized hill of Brézé. It’s next to Guiberteau’s monopole Clos de Guichaux, on the same sandy tuffeau limestone and the vines are a mix of Chenin Blanc and old-vine Cabernet Franc. Stater-West’s landlord here is Romain Guiberteau (who crafts a red from this site) and he makes two cuvées from his one hectare of vines. The Saumur Blanc is drawn from the lower section of the vineyard, where the vines are more vigorous and yield slightly higher than the parcel Stater-West uses for the Les Chapaudaises cuvée.
The grapes are simply whole-bunch-pressed and wild-fermented in stainless steel tanks. The wine stays on its lees for six months before bottling. From the high-voltage 2021 vintage, it grabs you with chalk-inflected white florals and ripe green apple scents before a palate laden with fleshy citrus and pulpy weight chiselled by razor-sharp freshness and jabbing minerals. Romain Guiberteau’s Saumur Blanc has some serious competition this year. It’s a striking release.