Sebastien Bobinet, "Piak! Blanc" 2020

Producer Profile: By many accounts the heart of Loire wines, the tuffeau, aka limestone, hills surrounding the downtown structures – buildings which overlook the confluence of the Thouet and Loire rivers – of Saumur are where some of the richest and nerviest chenin blancs and cab francs of the world have ever been cultivated. This is hearty, beautiful land whose wines carry with them a stony weight of history, some pristine thing living within the hard-won. For Domaine Bobinet’s Sébastien Bobinet, he grew up among these limestone-rich vines and took over his family’s hectareage in 2003. After eight good years of work, Bobinet found both love and a viticultural partner who would help take the operation into overdrive. Since 2011, working with partner Eméline Calvez (a former professional dancer whose career-ending injury spurred her to the vines), the estate has grown in scale and curiosity, not to mention quality – this is a kick-ass winemaking couple working amongst some of the most preciously-tough and highly-sought-after terroir in the world. 

Vinification: 100% Cabernet Franc (blanc de noir!) from clay-limestone soil. Grapes are hand-harvested and fermented whole cluster with wild yeasts. After a short maceration, the wine is separated from the skins before any color can be imparted and racked into concrete, where it spends a few months resting. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, with no SO2. 

Tasting: A unique and zingy blanc de noir of Cab Franc. Notes of kiwi and lime zest with a lush, creamy texture that balances out that sharp acidity. Destined for a blissed out Sunday at Fort Tilden.