From a winemaking family in Anjou, Stéphane Rocher left his Parisian career to return to his roots in the vines, reclaiming an old home and winery at Mont Benault, near Faye d'Anjou and a few hectares of old-vine Chenin Blanc in 2010. Gradually replanting on the varied terroirs of the Anjou Noir, Stéphane now has 6.5 hectares of vines and produces a glorious assortment of wines, with meticulous by-hand organic vineyard work and superb low-sulfur vinifications, with aging in tank, old barrels and sandstone jarres. The wines are truly unique and beautifully made, including two superb Chenins from 70 year-old vines:  the 2023 "La Piece du Saule" from volcanic "rhyolite" soils (igneous rock high in silica and quartz) also found in Richard Leroy's vineyard "les Noels de Montbenault); and the 2023 "Les Pierres Bleues" grown on spilite" soils (blue basalt). (Also found at Domaine Ogereau and Domaine Pierre Bise) Both are aged in tank and sandstone jarres, with minimal added SO2. These are brilliant expressions of the Anjou Noir terroirs - subtle, vibrant, elegant and with superb mineral character. Best after a few years of cellaring, but delicious young as well - 60 btls of each are available.
Fortunately for us, Stéphane also produces sensational and affordable wines for everyday enjoyment on these superb terroirs. Today's offer includes the 2025 Petits Cailloux Blanc made from Grolleau Gris and Chenin and the 2025 Petits Cailloux Rouze made from Grolleau Noir, Cabernet Franc and Pineau d'Aunis, both on red schist soils. (The Rouze is particularly vibrant, pure, light and insanely delicious). The 2024 "Les Muriers" rouge is a bit more serious, made from Cabernet Franc and Pineau d'Aunis also on red schist - give this some time open or a few years of cellaring - it's a beautiful and food friendly wine! To illustrate this winemaker's sense of fun, he also makes a beautiful sweet rosé from Pineau d'Aunis and Gamay de Bouze - the 2024 "Strawberry Fields!" 60 gr/l RS, pure berry fruits, sapid and long, serve as an aperitif or with fruit desserts!

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Evelyne de Pontbriand of Domaine du Closel was a good friend, a great winemaker, a tireless promoter of Savennieres and the first woman president of a growers’ syndicate in France. Tasting with her was always a great pleasure and a great education. Before her tragic death in 2024, she hired Antoine Fardeau as the new director of the estate in 2022, who will continue along with new Managing Director Ivan Massonnet of Domaine Belargus. The 2023 "La Jalousie" and the 2023 "Les Caillardières" made by Antoine Fardeau are sensational wines, both showing complex and very beautiful aromas with gorgeous palates of white and yellow fruits and minerals with terrific length. "Les Caillardières," from a higher elevation vineyard on schist usually shows higher acidity and was often produced with a bit of RS - the 2023 is bone dry and beautifully balanced, with a great finish - a superb candidate for aging! Notes from Antoine Fardeau: "2023 marks a first shift—undertaken with Evelyne’s confidence—towards making wines that are bone-dry. In the traditional style, there would often be a few grams of residual sugar left. I find that going bone-dry allows the wine to shine better and gives it more definition." This is precisely what we tasted last winter - dry, terroir expressive wines that remain balanced due to harvesting at the perfect moment to capture maturity without excess alcohol. Any lover of Chenin Blanc should have a few in their cellar! (Photo at top, Closel vines above the Loire)

Domaine de la Roche Bleue
The domaine was established in 2008 by Sébastien Cornille, a native of Sancerre, with 3.5 hectares in Jasnières and 1.5 hectares in the Coteaux-du-Loir on slopes of clay/limestone terroir. Now totaling about 6.5 hectares, the estate is certified organic and uses biodynamic methods as well, very much in the style of his neighbor in the vines, Domaine Belliviere. Sébastien works the soils without deep plowing, harvests by hand, vinifies with wild yeasts and without additives and uses minimal SO2.
Due to the very small yields in 2024, some of the wines in this shipment are multi-vintage, showing the brightness of 2024 with the ripe fruit of 2023 and 2025. The "Belle D'Aunis" shows this beautifully, with ripe fruit and floral aromas and a sapid palate combined with bright acidity to make a very refreshing and wonderful combination. The NV Jasnières and the 2024 Jasnières Clos des Molières are superb Chenins to enjoy now and after 5 to 10 years of cellaring, while the new P'Tit Jaja Blanc (Chenin) and P'tit Jaja Rouge (Pineau d'Aunis) are great values in delicious current drinking!

Domaine Bernard Baudry
While we're in the Loire, don't forget the recently released 2022 Chinon "le Clos Guillot!"
This is a subtle and profound wine of terroir, equal to La Croix Boissée in this vintage and far superior to the over-extracted and over-priced reds from other Loire appellations - enjoy it over the next 25 years, it belongs in your cellar...

If you're in the local area and curious to try some of these fantastic wines, join our own Eben Lillie for a free wine tasting next Saturday, 8/22 from 4-5pm at Freddy's Tribeca, Downtown's favorite new wine bar, located across the street from the shop at 76 Chambers Street!