L'Insolite Saumur

Asparagus, grilled fish with fennel or crab.

Serious wines are produced at this estate run by the charismatic Thierry Germain. His approach is closer to a Burgundy wine-maker than a typical Loire producer. This 50-acre domaine situated in a superb viticultural location in the appellation of Saumur-Champigny has been a winery since 1850. Germain from a long line of Bordeaux winemakers arrived here in 1991 attracted by the region’s perfect balance of grape varietal climate and 'terroir' which he considers one of the finest in France. The vineyard is worked in a natural way with the goal of keeping the vine and the soil at its healthiest and Thierry has become a fully-fledged advocate of biodynamics.

Thierry’s Insolite, meaning “unusual,” comes from a tiny plot of gnarled 90-year-old Chenin Blanc vines embedded in clayey, silex-rich soils over chalky limestone bedrock. The combination of ancient vines and special terroir result in an ultra elegant and finely-etched expression of the grape.