LAURENT SAILLARD
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As usual, our wine adventures this summer lead us down some roads seldom traveled. Our GSP was astonishingly accurate, but Laurent Saillard’s winery / residence was nearly impossible to track down. In the Loire Valley’s tiny town of Pouillé, an hour east of Tours, we eventually wandered through someone’s backyard and found Laurent and his team working methodically in his centenarian winery.
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Over the next few hours we tasted through the entire cellar, testing cuvées from barrels, tanks, amphora, and foudres. The space was immaculate and organized. Unlike most natural winemakers, he had his laptop open, looking through fermentation charts to see how everything was progressing. Every time he used the wine thief to extract something from a vessel, he cleaned it immediately. I know this sounds nitpicky, but these are the compulsions I seek out in our winemakers.
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Laurent is bright-eyed, intelligent, welcoming, intense, and focused. He is a romantic and a free spirit in the same way Hemmingway and Mallmann are. He chooses his words wisely and finds beauty in simplicity. We joined his staff at a small meal in the adjacent barn; a huge block of Comté, a whole leg of prosciutto, a bowl of popcorn, some fried pumpkin skins, and a lot of wine. We were joined by one of my favourite winemakers in the world: Noella Morantin.
Noella was Laurent’s mentor when he first moved to the Loire Valley. She helped him make wine, connected him with grape growers, and refurbished the winery in which he now operates. She casually sipped wine across the table from me as I ogled. Several other people joined the impromptu party including a winemaker from Provence and a local brewer. It turns out interesting people attract other interesting people.
MORE FROM THE LOIRE VALLEY: DOMAINE DE LA GARRELIÈRE I DOMAINE BRETON
2025 LUCKY YOU
The grapes for this cuvée come from a section of Clos Roche Blanche planted in 1973. The cépage is roughly 2/3 Sauvignon Blanc and 1/3 Chardonnay. The grapes are whole cluster pressed into stainless steel, where the juice ferments slowly until the spring. After a six-month élevage, the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with 10ppm of SO2. 13.5% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $46.00 (AB)
CSPC: 808737 (AB)
2025 LA PAUSE
This wine is made from Gamay Noir from vines planted in 1978. Whole clusters are put into open-top foudres and permitted to ferment with minimal pigeage and über gentle ‘pump overs’ (they fill a bucket with siphoned-off juice and pour it over the cap). The wine is then pressed off and undergoes élevage in foudre as well. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal additional SO2. 13% ABV
2025 ÇA SE DISCUTE
The grapes for this cuvée are grown by Julien Moreau of Domaine de Cambalu. His vineyards are located next to Le Cher, a tributary of the Loire just east of Tours, on clay-limestone. This cuvée is made from Pineau d'Aunis and Pineau d'Aunis Teinturier fermented whole-cluster for five days. After a five-month élevage in flex-tank, the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with 10ppm of SO2.
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $40.00 (AB)
CSPC: 869385 (AB)
2025 UN ÉTÉ PARTAGÉ
The grapes for this cuvée are grown by Julien Moreau of Domaine de Cambalu. His vineyards are located next to Le Cher, a tributary of the Loire just east of Tours, on clay-limestone. At forty years old, the vines are properly mature. This wine is made from Grolleau and Gamay Noir fermented destemmed for six days. After a six-month élevage in flex-tank, the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with 10ppm of SO2.
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $36.00 (AB)
CSPC: 869389 (AB)
2025 LOIR & CHER & SAUVIGNON
This wines is made from a blend of Sauvignon Blanc with just a pinch of Chardonnay from both his and his neighbours vineyard. The terroirs are similar and complementary, limestone over clay. The grapes were direct pressed into stainless steel for fermentation and élevage. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered after six months with minimal SO2. 13.5% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $40.00 (AB)
CSPC: 105073 (AB)
2023 EN FAMILLE
The grapes for this cuvée are grown by Julien Moreau of Domaine de Cambalu. His vineyards are located next to Le Cher, a tributary of the Loire just east of Tours, on clay-limestone. This vintage is a blend of Côt (aka, Malbec, 90%), and Gamay Noir (10%). The grapes were fermented half destemmed and half whole-cluster in an open top tank. The wine then ages for six months in neutral 500L barrel and sandstone amphora. 11.5% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $46.00 (AB)
CSPC: 143762 (AB)
2025 SCARLETTE
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $40.00 (AB)
CSPC: 143763 (AB)
2025 LA VALSE
This wine comes from younger plantings of Pinot Noir and Gamay Noir in Laurent's vineyard. The central plot on limestone and clay was left fallow for a few years to let the soil recover but is now producing beautiful fruit. The grapes were direct pressed into stainless steel for fermentation and élevage. After six months, the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered. 14% ABV
