Arnaud Lambert: 2019-2023 Mazurique Vertical
Five vintages of Saumur Rouge "Mazurique" offer a window into Arnaud Lambert's ongoing pursuit of purity, transparency, and a truer sense of place.
Few winemakers have made such a meaningful impact on me, my understanding of Cabernet Franc, and ultimately, what you read here on Cab Franc Chronicles, as Arnaud Lambert. He was the first winemaker that I heard speak about the site sensitivity of Cabernet Franc and its ability to be a mirror for the terroir, which he spoke about at length in an interview with Levi Dalton on his podcast I’ll Drink to That. After listening to that episode in 2017, my optic on how I thought about and tasted Cabernet Franc changed completely. I knew instantly that when I launched Cab Franc Chronicles, speaking about how the grape expressed place would be central to my content. Since then, I have gone down the rabbit hole, particularly as it relates to Loire Cabernet Franc, trying to understand what makes Chinon Chinon, asking how does Cabernet Franc express itself on the Middle Turonian versus the Upper Turonian tuffeau chalk, or trying to articulate the expression of Grand Mont in the glass for anyone that might be just as curious as me. This deep dive into Cabernet Franc has been inspired in part by passionate vignerons like Arnaud Lambert.
Ironically, it wouldn’t be until the winter of 2021 that I actually tasted my first Cabernet Franc from Domaine Arnaud Lambert - the 2019 Saumur Rouge “Clos Mazurique” - a wine that, perhaps unsurprisingly, did not disappoint and has remained tattooed in my memory ever since. I met Arnaud for the first time in May 2022 as part of my first “official” trip to the Loire. During our more than five hour long visit, we visited some key vineyard parcels, dug holes in the vineyards to look at the textures of the soils, and tasted through multiple vintages of his Cabernet Francs, all the while he shared his journey as a vigneron emphasizing that understanding his soils was the most important jumping off point for how he approaches his wines in the cellar. A journey that is dynamic and presents new challenges with each subsequent vintage.
Over four years and many subsequent visits with Arnaud later, he has become one of my go-to vignerons to answer technical questions relating to Cabernet Franc, and he is always open and willing to share his experiences, key learnings, and, perhaps most humbly, his mistakes. While I adore the entire range of Cabernet Francs from Domaine Arnaud Lambert, the Clos Mazurique has a special place in my heart, and upon realizing I had a mini 5-year vertical in my cellar, it seemed only appropriate to do a deep dive into this vineyard and wine.
The Vineyard: A Clos with Character
Arnaud Lambert’s Mazurique is coming from a 3.7-hectare parcel of on average 40-year-old Cabernet Franc vines in the commune of Bréze, about 10km south of the Loire River. The lieu-dit is in the southwestern part of Brézé, and while the parcels are on a south-facing slope, this is a decidedly cooler site for Cabernet Franc, with budbreak and harvest typically later than average. In terms of soils, these also contribute to the “coolness” of this vineyard. The parcels have about 50cm of a predominantly clayey topsoil (argilo-limoneuse is about 40% clay content) over the Middle Turonian white tuffeau chalk, and the topsoil is quite stony, about 50% stoniness.
When it comes to this vineyard and what we taste in the glass, there are two important forces at play. Firstly, there is the “coolness” of this site. In my tasting experience, regardless of vintage, Mazurique presents in a very “cool,” almost brisk, way. Think: walking through an evergreen forest in early spring, surrounded by spruce and fir trees with a bit of snow on the ground that has yet to melt. There is a pristine nature about the wine, and it always exhibits a great deal of clarity and freshness in the glass. This “cool” energy also does mean that this wine can show a bit austere on release.
In addition to the coolness of the site, the combination of very clayey though shallow topsoil with a high proportion stones creates a growing environment that has a certain “strength” to it. The nature of clay, with its higher water holding capacity, gives more “power” to the vine to develop physiologically and phenolically. This, coupled with the yield-restricting nature of the shallow and stony topsoil, gives fruit with a lot of “matière”1 to work with in the cellar, which has ultimately shaped how Arnaud has evolved his approach for this wine in the cellar.
Winemaking: Rigour and Self-Reflection
For Arnaud, understanding the strong signature that the Mazurique soils bring to the table has been essential in informing how he works with that fruit in the cellar to not only communicate a sense of place but to do so in a style that fits within the estate’s range of Cabernet Francs. This rigour and self-reflection, coupled with a desire to create a wine with early-drinking accessibility while honouring vintage variation, made it clear that a fixed cellar “recipe” was not the right approach.
As it relates to Mazurique in particular and getting the optimal expression of the place and grape, there are a few elements to the winemaking process that have remained consistent over the years and some that Arnaud has evolved with his understanding of vineyard and how to work with Cabernet Franc in the cellar. The cuvée Mazurique is fermented is with indigenous yeast in a combination of stainless steel and/or concrete depending on the vintage, with a portion of the fruit (about 25%) seeing a shorter time on skins (about 8-10 days) and a the balance receiving a longer extended maceration (3 weeks). The élevage is relatively short, about 8 months, and also in stainless steel or concrete.
What has evolved over the years as it relates to Mazurique in particular is Arnaud’s approach to extractions. When I asked him to reflect on the vintages that I was going to be tasting for this article and how he’s made changes over the years, he noted that he is now taking a much gentler approach to cap management. For the 2019 vintage, he performed a 20 minute pump-over twice daily (morning and evening), an approach that gave more tannin structure than he wanted. Over time, he has modified his approach: 15 minutes twice daily in 2020, 10 minutes twice daily in 2021, 5 minutes in 2022, and in 2023 arriving to the conclusion that a one minute wetting of the cap once a day was sufficient to achieve the “right” level of extraction and volume and texture of tannins for this cuvée.
Arnaud seeks purity, clarity and transparency in his Cabernet Francs, not perfection. That willingness to question what worked before in pursuit of something truer is rare. When a winemaker brings that level of rigour and honest self-appraisal to an “entry-level” cuvée, it is a reliable signal of what defines the domaine as a whole and is a quiet guarantee to the wine drinker that the same standard extends through every wine Arnaud makes.
Tasting Notes and Observations
So, what defines Mazurique the wine in terms of what we taste in the glass? From tasting these five vintages, 2019 to 2023, there are a few things that immediately jump out. As I noted above, the wine always has a “cooling” energy, regardless of vintage. This comes across in two ways: first, aromatically, presenting with distinct cooling herbal aromas (think: sage, mint, foresty undertones) and, second, structurally, in that it can be a little austere on release. This is also a deliciously spicy expression of Cabernet Franc that comes through in the most complex of array of peppercorns (green, pink, sometimes white) and also heady aroma of freshly grated nutmeg.
Structurally, I think what defines Mazurique are the tannins, which I think reflect not only the clayey nature of the soils but also the impact of the tuffeau chalk bedrock. The tannins are impeccably fine, silky, and enveloping. When young, they have a texture not too dissimilar to a fine potter’s clay with the same density and a bit of stickiness. Over time, they become more refined, elongated, giving way to a bit more of a light chalkiness on the finish. The wine combines class and accessibility with impressive ease. And perhaps most importantly, this is a wine that overdelivers on what it means to be an “early-drinking” Cabernet Franc. Yes, there is superb drinkability. Yes, there is ease and elegance. But there is also depth, complexity and plenty of substance for aging. At $25USD/15EUR, this wine ranks up there with some of the Loire Valley’s great Cabernet Franc values that does double duty: drinking well young and offering compelling potential for aging.
2023 Saumur Rouge “Mazurique” (12.5% abv.): Fragrant and perfumed, red and dark forest-berry fruits lead (black and red raspberry, morello cherry) with a medley of cooling herbal notes (sage, basil, thyme, tarragon) playing a supporting role. Fresh and lively with spicier undertones on the palate of green and pink peppercorn and high-toned lift of freshly grated nutmeg. Pure, fresh, inviting, the wine has juicy, cleansing acidity and very fine, silky tannins that provide an enveloping mouthfeel that is round and lush while still feeling discreet. The structure frames a beautifully pure-fruited core that delivers instant pleasure and ease. Medium-bodied, welcoming, refined. This vintage feels like it delivered all of the elements to arrive at a “textbook” expression of Mazurique.
2022 Saumur Rouge “Mazurique” (14.0% abv.): Compared to even six months ago, the 2022 vintage has really come into its own. Lifted, open, with depth and nuance, time has done this warm, generous expression of Mazurique plenty of favours. The red and dark berried fruits remain consistent, but lean a little sweeter (Bing cherry, strawberry, black raspberry), with twiggy herbs (rosemary, thyme) balancing beautifully, alongside a warming vein of star anise and nutmeg. On the palate, I feel like the strength of the site really come through with very fine, enveloping, crushed velvet tannins that evoke image of potter’s clay. The acidity, while soft, is luscious and mouthwatering, and it marries beautifully with round, generous mouthfeel, and through the finish is a peppercorn melange (pink, green, white) that provides a nice counterpoint and energy through the finish. This wine defies the logic of what an “entry-level” Loire Cabernet Franc can be. This is part vintage but also part vineyard, but it feels undeniably Mazurique to me.
2021 Saumur Rouge “Clos Mazurique” (13.0% abv.): Of this vertical, this is the only “cool” more “classic” Loire vintage. I haven’t revisited the 2021 in some time, and I recall it being a bit closed when I tasted it last. Today, this wine is SO open, so present and enchanting. Leading with more spice and herbal undertones (green and pink peppercorn, nutmeg, sage, basil, spruce tips), which is supported by the same red and black fruited signature. Beautifully transparent and pure, with an undeniable vigour and energy that is characteristic of a cool vintage and a persistent liquorice-laced spicy finish. The focused almost nervy acidity frames the firm, chalky tannins well, while the fruit is a bit lighter in concentration, it still envelops the palate and provides a complete, balanced palate experience. It doesn’t have the bravado of the 2022, but it is just so friendly and scrumptious. A leaner, more ligérien expression of Mazurique, and one that I think will continue to deliver pleasure for at least another 5 or more years.
2020 Saumur Rouge “Clos Mazurique” (13.0% abv.): In keeping with what I’ve tasted from warmer/riper vintages, like 2020, for Cabernet Franc in the Loire, the noble herbaceous side started to shine through with a little bit of age. Open and nuanced, the sweet-succulent red and dark fruits show through transparently; very in line with the 2022. The herbal and spicy side is lifted and invigorating, with notes of dried sage, rosemary, a touch of nettle, green peppercorn and a distinct menthol edge, while the tertiary evolution provides grounding notes of damp autumn leaves, morel mushroom and fennel seed. The acidity is soft, but refreshing, and the tannins are decidedly firm and a touch more sinewy, though they finish sleek and elegant. Plush, enveloping, this wine overdelivers on concentration and complexity, with a refined structure and plenty of savoury deliciousness. While showing a bit more evolution, there is enough stuffing here that the wine should still continue to evolve nicely over the medium term.
2019 Saumur Rouge “Clos Mazurique” (13.0% abv.): The nose is quite fragrant and perfumed, and not only shows a little “less ripe” than the 2020 but also more primary and less evolved. It still has a strong vein of youthfulness, which is really compelling. It leads with characteristic red and black fruits that are sweeter but fresh (cherry, black raspberry), and the herbal undertones are on equal footing as the fruit, though the herbals are much more menthol-driven with notes of mint (so much mint!), rosemary, with touch of freshly cut Fraser fir on an early December day. The nose and palate bring with them added layers of spice and pepperiness (cinnamon, nutmeg, green peppercorn) with added layers of graphite, liquorice and a hint of wormwood. The vibrant and persistent acidity weaves with silky, enrobing tannins that have a touch more of a fine, chalky grip through the finish. Elegantly structured, luxuriously textured, concentrated, compelling, while having all of the moreish drinkability that I’ve come to love from this cuvée. This has a long life ahead of it.
Matière in French translates to “material” or “substance” and it is a word that vignerons in the Loire (and, I’m sure, in other French regions as well) use when referring to Cabernet Franc (or more generally any grape) that has simply “more” to work with whether that be riper tannins in the skins and/or seeds, the “right” kind of tannins, more sugar ripeness, etc. Essentially there is more extractable potential in the fruit, which would prompt a vigneron to make certain decisions in the cellar for the vinification depending on the intended style of Cabernet Franc they are hoping to produce from said fruit. A term that could’ve probably been said more simply in the body of this article, but I thought benefited for a more thorough explanation here.
Lovely article. It’s odd, and my error, that I never thought of CF as being terroir driven, producer specific, yes. I hear so much about Bourgogne, Riesling, Nebbiolo and such as terroir wines but not so with CF. Thank you for helping me understand the differences. Cheers!