Wine Advisor
Clos Rougeard, Saumur Champigny Les Poyeux 2017
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Rebecca Gibb
Set for release in November 2022, the 2017 Les Poyeux is a delightful wine. While waiting for the winemaker, I was left with a glass of this in the chalky cellars and I really struggled to find anything wrong with it. This is a blend of two parcels within the Poyeux vineyard. It's as if you are drinking a cloud of Cabernet Franc, that floats along in your mouth, before the mouthwatering acidity flows forth. This light to mid-weight wine has incredible density despite its delicacy. The purity of fruit is impressive and shows red cherry, black olive, savory and tea leaf-like tannins. Typically a more accessible wine than Le Bourg, you could drink on release but it will go on and on.
Reviewed by: Yohan Castaing
Bright and gourmand, the 2017 Saumur Champigny Les Poyeux exhales aromas of prune, violet, flowers and pepper, followed by a medium to full-bodied, juicy and long structure, finishing dry and rustic due to the presence of Brettanomyces. Nonetheless, it presents a fresher and more fruit-forward profile than its 2018 counterpart, rendering the finish more relaxed.
About the Producer
This humble estate located in the heart of the Saumur-Champigny appellation has garnered a cult like following for its texturally enticing, elegant, and understated Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc wines. The Foucault brothers, Nadi and his late brother Charlie, took over the family vineyards in 1969, and are the eighth generation in their family to run this 17th Century estate. They are considered the pioneers of organic and biodynamic viticulture in their region, producing Cabernet Francs of incredible concentration and length that are on par with many left bank Bordeaux château. Le Bourg, which is their top cuvée, is a small one hectare plot with vines almost 80 years in age, producing shockingly low yields of 15 hl/ha that lower than most of the top Burgundian producers. The equally rare Chenin Blanc named Brèze, is quite simply put, the pinnacle of Chenin in Loire coming from a tiny one hectare plot of 40-50 year old vines. These are incredibly pure, lean whites with great power and intensity, as well as excellent freshness.
