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
2022 LUCKY YOU
The grapes for this cuvée come from a section of Clos Roche Blanche plated in 1973. The cépage is roughly 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Chardonnay. The grapes are whole cluster pressed into stainless steel where the juice ferments slowly until the spring. After a five-month élevage, the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with 10ppm of SO2. 12% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $41.00 CAD
CSPC: 808737
2022 LA PAUSE
After declassifying the fruit last year our favourite cuvée is back. 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.
2022 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. 10% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $38.00 CAD
CSPC: 869385
2022 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 Grolleau Gris 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. 10.5% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $36.00 CAD
CSPC: 869389
2022 SAUVIGNON BLANC
Although the 2022 harvest was more fruitful, Laurent still had to purchase some grapes to make his operation viable. He was able to get some organic Sauvignon Blanc from a neighbour which he blended with his own. The terroirs are similar and complimentary. The grapes were direct pressed into stainless steel for fermentation and élevage. The wine is bottled with minimal SO2. 13.5% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $38.00 CAD
CSPC: 893189
2022 YOU & ME CHENIN BLANC
After yet another devastating vintage, Laurent was able to purchase some Sauvignon Blanc from his neighbour, as well as some Ugni Blanc from a friend in Provence. The two varieties were vinified separately in a flex tank before being blended after a five-month élevage. The wine sees 10ppm of SO2 at bottling. 13.5% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $38.00 CAD
CSPC: 869387
2021 GRENACHE/SYRAH
This cuvée was originally going to be a mono-cépage Syrah from Laurent’s friend’s vineyard in Vaucluse, but in the eleventh hour it was blended with Grenache from the Gard. The grapes were destemmed and fermented on skins independently for five days before being pressed off into tank for a five-month élevage. The wine sees 10ppm of SO2 at bottling. 12.5% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $37.00 CAD
CSPC: 853079
2021 LA PAIRE
The grapes for this new 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 wine is made from Gamay Noir 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. 11.5% ABV
ESTIMATED RETAIL PRICE: $37.00 CAD
CSPC: 853081
2021 UN ÉTÉ PARTAGÉ
The grapes for this new 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 wine is made exclusively from Grolleau 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. 10.5% ABV
