Antoine Sanzay Saumur-Champigny “Cuvée Domaine” 2018

Antoine Sanzay took control of the family’s eleven hectares of vines in 1999 and launched his own label in 2002 with 50% of the domaine’s harvest. He wisely continued to sell the other half of his fruit to the cooperative in St-Cyr-en-Bourg for cash flow. His cellar and home are located in Varrains, one of nine communes that make up the Saumur Champigny appellation southeast of of the town of Saumur. As of the 2013 vintage, Antoine was able to cut ties with the local co-op and he now utilizes all of the grapes from his 27 acres of vines.

Cabernet Franc vines grown according to biodynamic principles on clay and limestone soils. The harvest is manual; at the vinification level, fermentations are made using indigenous yeasts. Antoine’s practices in both vineyard and cellar have been strictly natural for several years, but he only recently obtained organic certification through Ecocert.

Soil: Chalky limestone and clay marl slopes on tuffeau stone base with sandy topsoil

Yields: 45 hectoliters/hectare on average

Vinification & Elevage: Indigenous yeast only. Aged in cement cuvees. Not fined or filtered.