Domaine du Pas Saint Martin "Le Vent Dans Les Saules" Anjou Blanc 2023

Alcohol: 14%

Grape(s) : Chenin Blanc

Localisation : Anjou, Loire Valley, France

Tasting Notes: Harvested by hand and fermented with natural yeasts. ‘Le Vent dans les Saules’ means ‘the wind in the willows’, a reference to the willow trees planted near this parcel by Laurent and his grandfather when willow was still used for tying vines. This is a very fine edgy Chenin blanc. Ultra-pure, it is reticent with grapefruit, lemon rind and pith, spice, and stony minerality on the nose. The palate is marked by prominent saline mineral lemon juice acidity that while in your face (or mouth in this case!) is not out of balance. There is plenty of flavor behind the acidity – yellow florals, white anise, vanilla, clarified lemon juice, and green apple with a richness that lingers on with the long drawn-out acid finish. This is one for acid lovers and food. 

Notes:  The Anjou Blanc is produced from a two-hectare plot referred to as “Le Vent dans les Saules” (“the wind in the willows”) because of the willow trees next to the vineyard. Laurent’s grandfather planted the vineyard in the 1980s because the “old timers” remembered great wines coming from these soils. The soil is schist with fertile clay topsoil. Laurent allows the natural plants to grow between the rows which push the root system down into the schist and mitigates the rich topsoil’s effect on the vine. He has chosen a trellis system named “cordon bi-lateral” that yields very small berries.

The Domain: Domaine du Pas Saint Martin is set among troglodyte caves formed out of ancient fossilized marine life that covered the Saumur region 10 million years ago. During the Middle Ages, these caves served the Protestants as secret places of worship.

Laurent Charrier and his mother run the Domaine, a certified organic farm. Laurent’s father was not interested in producing wine, and thus in 1994, when Laurent took over the responsibility of the Domaine, he picked up where his grandfather had left off. He immediately set out to acquire certification for organic farming, which he received in 1997. The family vineyards are a bit spread out, with small holdings in Anjou and Coteaux du Layon and their primary vineyard in Saumur. The average age of the vines is 25 years, with a good part being older than 35 years. Vinification is carried out in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats.