Appellation: Saumur-Champigny
Cuvée: Les Salles Martin
Colour: Red
Grapes: Cabernet Franc
About: Tiny production from a very small parcel of both red and white grapes on predominantly sand and silex soils, made by infusion, aged in clay jar, with very elegant results. First made in 2017.

Vines

Location: St Cyr-en-Bourg.
Size: 0.22 hectares.
Age: vines planted around 1975.
Soils: sand and silex.
Exposition: south-east facing, on a gentle slope.
Altitude: 100m.
Training: wire trained.
Farming: organic, ploughing, cover crops.
Average yield hl/ha: 45.
Climate: continental with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers.

Winemaking

The harvest is picked by hand into small crates and carefully sorted upon entry to the cellar. The fruit is de-stemmed and moved to concrete vat mechanically without any pumping. It’s fermented by natural yeasts and without any additives other than a minimal dose of sulfites with a maceration around 3 weeks, without any active extraction. The wine is aged in clay jar for 9 months before bottling unfined and unfiltered.

Vintage Notes 2018
A lovely year with a great balance due to nature’s delivery of the right amount at the right time of both rain and sunshine. The risk of mildew was minimised. The resultant wines pack a lovely vegetal juiciness with pure aromas.
Yield hl/ha: 45.
Harvested: Around October 10.
Bottles produced: 1,300.
Date bottled: 2019-09.
Alcohol: 12.91 %.
SO2 Total: 27.
Tasting: Very fresh, light, airy, frank, almost glou glou, but lovely depth of shimmering red berry and plum fruit, very fine tannins. Great balance.

Vintage Notes 2019
A generally excellent year spoiled by a frost in spring which reduced the crop by 40%. After, there was plenty of sunshine, a good floraison, some heatwave which didn’t hurt. Quite high degrees but great acidity anyway due to work of soil, and the calcaire base.
Yield hl/ha: 40
Harvested: early, mid september all in 8 days
Bottles produced: 3,500
Date bottled: 2020-09
Alcohol: 13.5 %
SO2 Total: around 25
Tasting: lovely salivating freshness, develops salty, combination pure jus, very ripe sunny black fruits and forest floor, fresh, crunchy, terrific, ready, open, invisible but present tannins, lovely.