Saumur Champigny 'La Paterne' Antoine Sanzay 2021

The Saumur Champigny by Antoine Sanzay is a sincere expression of pure Cabernet Franc in Varrains, in the heart of the Loire Valley. Antoine Sanzay, a son of art, young and well-prepared, inherits the winery and decides to give new life to the vineyards from 1999 previously used to produce grapes sold to the local cooperative. He is part of a new generation of producers who draw strength and inspiration from the comparison with nearby and distant colleagues for virtuous agriculture and the production of free, original, and contemporary wines. Ten out of twelve hectares are carefully and attentively dedicated to only Cabernet Franc, which in these lands takes on a high-level interpretation, a decisive and surprising translation.

The Saumur Champigny originates from three plots planted almost forty years ago on the hills of Varrains, Chacé and St Cyr-en-Bourg. It is born from an approach in the winery of someone who has full confidence in their raw material, thus being minimally interventionist, with practices that enhance drinkability and the character of the place, the famous Loire area. It is bottled after a hand harvest, a fermentation by indigenous yeasts, and 10 months in stainless steel tanks.

Antoine Sanzay 'Saumur Champigny' has an herbaceous note, between mint and sage, that calls to mind the great Cabernet Francs of this area. It is a wine that abandons the superfluous and follows the path to the essential, which makes it clean and extremely vital in the mouth. The color is intense ruby red with violet hues. The aromas reflect the color, with sweet spices, violet, and red fruits chasing each other. On the palate, it is elegant, with a neat and slender sip, supported by a well-integrated tannic texture and characterized by a finish of clear mineral freshness. It finds its place naturally, as if it were born there, next to a creamy mushroom risotto.