Domaine Des Sables Verts Saumur Champigny Les Poyeux

Domaine des Sables Verts is a relatively new project owned and run by a young couple, Caroline Meurée and her husband, Hervé Maligne. They have worked in Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Rousillon before taking over a sprawling estate covering 16.5 HA spread amongst 5 villages with 33 different plots, with an average vine age of 40 years. The crown jewel of the estate are their two single-vineyard wines of Cab Franc from the famed parcels of “Poyeux” and “Chaintres” planted in the early 1950s, and where their neighbors are none other than Clos Rougeard and Thierry Germain! In the vineyards, Caroline and Hervé work as naturally as possible. They have had their HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) since the outset, but are also working toward full organic certification as well. At harvest, grapes are all harvested by hand, and fermented with natural yeasts. Depending on the cuvée, the wines spend time in tank and/or medium-sized oak tonneaux or foudres. This is definitely a wine to have with food. As with the great wines of Clos Rougeard, Poyeux offers up a more finesse-driven expression of Cab Franc. This is a wine with a complex nose of very ripe red fruits (blackcurrants and blueberries), with notes of sweet spices. Ample, velvety, and fresh in the mouth, with a long finish. Good aging potential. Pairs well with meats such as veal, lamb chops, grilled beef, even cocoa desserts.