Domaine des Sables Verts, Saumur Champigny 'Les Poyeux' 2022

This silken Cab Franc comes from 70+ year-old vines on the ‘Les Poyeux’ vineyard - which some consider (not designated) as a ‘Grand Cru’ site in Samur. If ‘Les Poyeux’’ rings a bell, it’s that’s it is also famously produced by Clos Rougeard…but going for between $400-$900 a bottle on the secondary market!

The 2022 is pure with an uber complex nose - ripe red fruits (blackcurrants and blueberries) - with notes of succulent sweet spices. Ample, velvety, juicy and fresh in the mouth as well as palate staining! A long and comforting finish - although light in alcohol, there is heaps of stuffing here.  It’s ‘Class’ straight out of the bottle but also has superb aging potential - was actually looking superb on day 3…Hard to resist and a real eye opener and a bargain given its pedigree!

Domaine des Sables Verts is situated in Verrains, nestled in the Saumur Champigny appellation's core within the Loire Valley. Owned and managed by Caroline Meurée and Hervé Malinge, the vineyard spans 16.50 hectares across five communes: Varrains, Chacé, Saumur, Souzay-Champigny, and Parnay. Its 33 plots showcase a variety of complementary terroirs, all cultivated with ecological and environmentally sustainable practices. Notably, some vines thrive on "green sand" soils, which are calcareous sands from the secondary era, enriched with glauconite. These unique soils impart a distinctive freshness and intensity to the estate's Cabernet Franc wines.