Biodynamic. This tiny vineyard deserves its status as one of Saumur’s ‘Grand Cru’ vineyards, and it is certainly the most enchanting to visit. The Chenin Blanc vines of Clos Romans are rooted in the walled enclave of a priory dating back to the 11th century. Planted atop a ridge in Parnay, just outside Saumur, the vine roots burrow down through the limestone (Senonian-era bedrock called Pierres de Champigny) towards the famous troglodyte dwellings below. Germain acquired this historic site in 2007 and has been steadily replanting at a density of 12,000 vines per hectare. He practices massale selection, mixing plants to ensure he doesn’t get a mono-dimensional profile of this terroir. It’s one of the many Germain vineyards ploughed under the direction of Thierry Germain’s daughter, Jeanne.
Here the grapes were, of course, hand-picked, then whole-bunch pressed and fermented in neutral cask, which at this domaine can take as long as two months in the cold tufa cellars. It was bottled without filtration following nine months on lees.
It’s a wine of mesmerising purity, seamlessly balancing the chiselled depth of Germain’s densely planted, low-yielding fruit with the uplifting lightness of France’s greatest whites (aérien, as the French might say). The 2020 shines with chalky minerality, sea-spray freshness and diamond-cut fruit clarity. And, for all its silky, limpid succulence, the piercing acidity and lifted finish brings harmony and incredible drive. Treat as you would a quality Burgundy.