Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Clos des Carmes 2014

Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Clos des Carmes is a 2.6-hectare monopole on the Brézé hill, of which usually only about a hectare's worth of fruit is kept for this wine.

Brézé is the limestone hill south of Saumur whose whites were ranked among the finest in France long before the appellation system existed, and the Clos des Carmes is one of the walled parcels on it; Romain Guiberteau's grandfather bought it in 1955. It faces south, mid-slope, on silty clay over limestone, and was replanted in 2004 and 2005 by massale selection at 5,500 vines to the hectare. Guiberteau took over the family vines at Mollay in 1996 and has farmed organically since 2000, certified in 2007. Only the best fruit goes into the cuvée and the rest is declassified. The bunches are pressed whole, fermentation runs on ambient yeasts, malolactic conversion is deliberately blocked to keep the acidity intact, and the wine spends eighteen to twenty-four months on lees in barrel, some of it new, before time in tank and further months in bottle.

Tight when young and best given several years, or a decant. Serve at 10-12°C with roast chicken, scallops or a hard sheep's milk cheese.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.