Clos Durandière, a great Loire Valley Cabernet

Etienne Bodet is a young winemaker whose family has been firmly rooted in the Saumur landscape for several generations. Indeed, his family has owned vineyards on the right bank of Montreuil-Bellay since the end of the 19th century. 

After gaining solid experience with renowned winemakers (Sylvain Pataille, Bernard Baudry, Champagne Gerbais, Guiberteau, etc.), he decided, while still working at Clos Rougeard, to cultivate a historic and exceptional plot, Clos Durandière : 1.3 hectares of Cabernet Franc enclosed by the wall of the Château de la Durandière and the surrounding forest. The proximity of the woodland provides a diverse range of flora and fauna and western shade for the vines. This shade is beneficial against the intense summer sun at the end of the day. 

This plot benefits from a specific and unique geology within the Saumur region (only 20 hectares of vines are known to grow on this type of soil). We are on hard limestone from the Bathonian stage of the Jurassic period. The vines grow in a thin layer (30 to 60 cm) and are planted directly into this hard rock. The soil textures are clayey sands or sandy silts with the presence of iron oxide. We are in the same geological era as the Côte de Nuits. The geological composition of the plot presents both constraints and potential for the vines (low water reserves, early ripening, good drainage, moderate vigor, active limestone) perfectly suited to high-performance viticulture. On this type of soil, the goal is to obtain a wine that is as ethereal as possible, delicate and refined. 

The winemaking and aging process takes place without sulfur, using indigenous yeasts, with more or less whole bunches depending on the vintage to seek the elegant and spicy expression of Cabernet Franc. 

Since Cabernet Franc is a raw material that takes a long time to polish, the wines are aged for a minimum of 2 years in barrels that have held one to three wines, then 6 months in tanks and 6 months in bottles before being marketed. 

The 2020 Clos Durandière, which we had kept in our cellars, is beginning to reveal itself gracefully, although its future potential is immense . The 2021 is already well established, a vintage that Etienne particularly appreciates. We agree; it's a major success for this plot. 

Les Graippeaux, made from 70-year-old Chenin vines, makes its debut with the 2022 vintage after 22 months of aging. We can confidently say that this is one of the greatest Loire Valley white wines we have ever tasted.

In 2023, Etienne produced a clairet from an exceptional plot, Les Vaudelles , which will soon be available as a red. How to describe this wine? A red with a deep, infused color but the texture of a great white. Unclassifiable because it's unique, a hedonistic pleasure, and with only one barrel produced, you really must try this wine!

The future looks bright for this estate, which is already well established on the finest wine lists in the world.