Five Minutes with... Etienne Moly of Domaine Moly

A conversation with one of Saumur's emerging talents on learning from the best and what made him fall in love with Cabernet Franc.

The Loire Valley is a hot bed for emerging talent, particularly for Cabernet Franc. Domaine Moly was established in 2021 by husband and wife team Etienne and Aurélia Moly. After successful corporate careers in France and abroad, the couple returned to France to follow their dream to become vignerons. Seeking to learn from the best, Etienne worked alongside Romain Guiberteau for three years before vinifying his first vintage.

The estate is comprised of four hectares of vines, and they launched with their two core reds: the La Nomade Saumur Rouge from parcels in Artannes-sur-Thouet and the Les Sybarites Saumur-Champigny from old vine parcels in Chacé, Varrains and Chaintres. They have since begun to produce two addition Cabernet Francs: their Bazaar, which is their early release, “spring” wine, if you will, that is vinifed in a combination of stainless steel and concrete, and their Alter Sybarites, which is one barrel of their Les Sybarites that sees an additional year of aging in barrel. And there may be a new single vineyard Cabernet Franc coming to the line-up from the 2025 vintage from a parcel in the lieu-dit Frogères, a premiere site located just north of Les Poyeux in Chacé.

In a short period of time, Etienne has emerged as a rising star in the Saumur region, thanks in part to mentors like Romain Guiberteau, but also because of a character trait I think is inherent in many of the world’s great makers of Cabernet Franc - inquisitiveness. Etienne is driven by not just a humble pursuit of excellence, but a genuine belief in the potential of Cabernet Franc from his vineyards and the Saumur region as a whole. His passion, his curiosity, his desire to taste, listen and learn, his quest for constant improvement, and that nagging urge to question himself as much as the world around him - these are what make him, quite simply, one to watch.

CFC: You came to Saumur for Chenin Blanc. What is it about Cabernet Franc that has you falling in love with this grape?

EM: Yes, absolutely, I came here for my love of Chenin, but I needed to get to know Cabernet Franc. And I have since very much fallen in love with the grape. The main thing that drives me is that there is still so much to discover and to do with it. We have a good base, especially in the Loire, especially in Saumur, but I believe the glass ceiling on Cabernet Franc is somewhere up in the sky. The potential is huge. All we have to do is, vintage after vintage, keep on learning and keep on striving to make better wines.

CFC: For someone tasting your wines for the first time, how would you describe La Nomade and Les Sybarites?

EM: Les Sybarites is our Saumur-Champigny and it’s meant to be a Cabernet Franc that is more chiselled and elongated. La Nomade is our Saumur Rouge, still Cabernet Franc, but because the vines are on clay, it gives something a bit spicier and bolder. Two different wines to love.

CFC: You are new to Cabernet Franc as a winemaker. What is the best piece of advice you’ve received about working with Cabernet Franc?

EM: I would quote Guillaume Pire from Château de Fosse Sèche, who says: Cabernet Franc picking date is now. Not the day before, and not the day after. There is a bit of room for mistakes for beginners, but at Domaine Moly we’d rather pick a day early than a day too late.

CFC: Last question: if you could describe Cabernet Franc in three words, what would those three words be for you?

EM: Spice. Fresh. Energy.

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For more on the wines from Domaine Moly, check out this feature on the estate: