Domaine Guiberteau

Located in the Loire Valley, France, Domaine Guiberteau is run today by Romain Guiberteau. The domaine was created by Romain’s great-grandfather, Clément Manguin, in the early 20th century; it was then passed down to Clément’s son-in-law, who retired in the late 1970s. During that time, the estate bought key vineyards on the hill of Brézé – today one of the most prized terroirs in the Loire.

The vineyards were leased out until 1996, when Romain was ready to take over. It took Romain only one year before he made his first commercial vintage. His minuscule production of 5,000 bottles of red wine was sold in a flash whilst Romain was learning from renowned winemaker Nady Foucault of Clos Rougeard. Today, the estate comprises almost 10 hectares of vines, 70% of which are in Brézé. Romain has propelled the estate to world fame and put Brézé on the global wine map.

His red wines are a fresh and delicious style of Cabernet Franc, located in great Saumur terroir. Romain’s winemaking style maximises quality in the vineyard and cellars while letting the terroir express itself. He works organically in all his vineyards.

Romain does an initial sorting directly in the vineyard for his white and red wines. For his whites, he presses with whole bunches across the range; he entirely destems his reds. He uses ambient yeast fermentation and blocks malolactic fermentation, yielding precise Chenin Blanc with great tension. He finally filters his wines, following a period of barrel ageing for his top cuvées.

Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc is an important white grape variety planted in the Anjou-Saumur and Touraine regions of the Loire Valley and the most widely planted varietal grape in South Africa.

In the Loire it produces high quality dry wines in Savenniéres, and luscious sweet, dessert wines in Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume. In Vouvray and Montlouis it can be dry, medium dry, or sweet, and still or sparkling. Whether dry or sweet, the best Loire Chenin Blancs possess marvellously concentrated rich, honeyed fruit together with refreshingly vibrant acidity. It is Chenin Blanc's high acidity that enable the wines to age so well.

In South Africa Chenin Blanc is easier to grow and is prized for its versatility. It is used as a cheap blending option with Chardonnay, Colombard, and Muscat but also bottled unblended. The best producers keep their yields low and produce impressive mouthfilling wines.