Thibaud Boudignon, 2020 Rosé de Loire, Anjou
Thibaud Boudignon is one of the up-and-coming winemakers to watch in Anjou. Originally from Bordeaux, his winemaking story in Anjou begins in 2009. And his attention to detail in the vineyards, and meticulous approach in the cellar, has garnered him a lot of praise and respect in a short period of time. He mainly works with Chenin Blanc in the Anjou and Savennières appellations, but of course today, naturally, we are taking a look at his rosé from Cabernet Franc.
Anjou historically has been a very important region for rosé. There are references that date back to medieval times that refer to the clairet wines of Anjou, which would've likely be closer today's darker style of rosé than a red. The first rosés made from Cabernet Franc date back to 1905. The Cabernet d'Anjou appellation was established in 1957. and rosé of cab franc really came into fashion in the 1930s, and today Cabernet d'Anjou accounts for around 67% of the rosé production of Anjou-Saumur region, and is the best selling rosé in France after Provence rosé.
Now the nature of the microclimate and the soils, particularly the schistous Anjou Noir soils, are directly related to the importance and the story of rosé production in Anjou.
Cabernet Franc struggles to ripen on schist - but why is this? Schist is a dense, brittle metamorphic rock, with poor water retention capacity. Schist absorbs the suns rays and store heat well, however it warms up more slowly in the spring, impacting the growing season of Cab Franc. On top of that, the topsoils of the vineyards dotted along the Layon River, are also more shallow, so there is less clay, and the soils are cooler as a result. SO the combination of the schist bedrock and the lack of topsoil, means that Cab Franc is a litte bit of a disadvantage from a ripening perspective. Also, schist is an acidic soil, it has a low pH, and I think this also comes in to play as it relates to nutrient availability and Cabernet Franc's ability to ripen, but I am not 100% certain on this point.
The conditions here mean that it was nearly impossible to fully ripen Cabernet Franc. And for rosé production, it is not necessary that Cabernet Franc be perfectly ripe because there is no extended maceration of the skins and seeds.
Now the lack of moisture also results in smaller berries, so a higher skin to juice ratio, which, if we were making red wine, could result in more rustic tannins and wines that are more "strict" so to speak, if the fruit is not handled carefully, but in the case of rosé, this will give us more colour and structure, even with a shorter maceration time.
Now, for other grape varieties, these features of the schist can be advantageous. But Cab Franc has its own inherent structure and rusticity, and schist can amplify this rusticity, if we're talking about red wine production, but in the case of rosé, the schist gives us freshness and brightness, as well as saline minerality.
For Thibaud's 2020 rosé, it is coming from a 3 hectare parcel of vines across two communes on the left bank, or south side, of the Layon River in Anjou: Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay and Lys Haut Layon. The vines are on average 25 to 40 years of age, and they are farmed organically.
Here on the left bank of Anjou, we are on the Brioverian schist bedrock. Thibaud explained to me that the soils are relatively shallow, with about 30 to 40cm of a predominantly clay topsoil with a bit of sand, as well as rhyolite, which is silica rich volcanic rock.
From a winemaking perspective, the wine is made via direct press, using 100% whole cluster. Fermentation is done with indigenous yeast in stainless steel. And the wine is aged on fine lees for 6 months before bottling.
I should note as well that there is a soupçon of Grolleau in this wine - about 10% - which Thibaud explains that it helps to provide a touch of softness and roundness to the wine's mouthfeel.
Key wine wine facts below:
Producer: Thibaud Boudignon
Region: Anjou
Appellation: Rosé de Loire
Communes: Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay, Lys Haut Layon
Assemblage: 90% Cabernet Franc, 10% Grolleau
Soils: Brioverian schist bedrock, 30-40cm of topsoil with clay, sand and rhyolite
Alcohol: 12.5%
