Saumur's Domaine Moly

No.21 | Producer Feature

While I am consistently in awe and impressed when I am introduced to domaines that have existed for generations with roots going back one, two, sometimes three or more centuries, when I encounter a domaine that is brand new, these estates also receive my admiration. When building a domaine from scratch, there are a different set of motivating factors, costs, constraints, and risks. It takes a special type of person to choose to embark on the journey of being a vigneron, particularly if they have no previous experience working in vineyards or the cellar. There is a lot at stake for those that choose this path, but as the saying goes, greater risk can lead to great rewards in the long run. Based in the village of Distré, Domaine Moly is among the Saumur region’s freshest and most promising new estates.

As is often the case with younger domaines, I was first introduced to Etienne and Aurélia Moly of Domaine Moly through social media. I think it might’ve actually been through my weekly Instagram quiz, both Etienne and Aurélia taking it from their respective Instagram accounts. Etienne and I connected first, and it didn’t take long before I received an enthusiastic invitation to their domaine to taste their very first vintage.

Etienne from the countryside near Lyon and Aurélia from Paris, both had successful corporate careers in other industries having lived and worked in California and later New Zealand for a combined twenty years before making the decision to return to France. Etienne’s long time love of food and wine was what motivated them to make the decision to become vignerons. When I asked Etienne, “why the Loire, why Saumur?” he shared that they sought affordability but they also wanted to make compelling white and red wines with elegance and verve, comparable to that of Burgundy, and Saumur was, without question, the obvious choice.

Etienne and Aurélia Moly. Photo courtesy Domaine Moly.

For three vintages, Etienne worked under Romain Guiberteau - he himself having worked for the Foucault brothers of Clos Rougeard for many years before launching his own domaine - to learn the key approaches to viticulture and winemaking with a strong focus on organic practices in the vineyard and minimal intervention in the cellar. Etienne and Aurélia purchased their first parcels in 2021; a handful of established plots in the commune of Artannes-sur-Thouet for their Saumur Rouge and some parcels in Chacé, Varrains and Chaintres (Dampierre-sur-Loire) for the Saumur-Champigny. (They, of course, make a superb Saumur Blanc… but this is Cab Franc Chronicles here, so I’m all about the reds!)

I first met and tasted with Etienne and Aurélia at their home and chai in the commune of Distré, just a few kilometres southwest of Saumur, in February 2023. Let me say off the top, you would be hard pressed to meet a kinder, more generous couple! Together, with a few industry folk from the US and UK, we tasted some samples of the 2022s from barrel and also the bottled 2021s. While I initially tasted these wines after a long day of tasting at the salons, I could sense immediately that there was something special happening here, so I was thrilled when I discovered that the 2021s were available in Ontario earlier this year. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to purchase the wines so that I could re-taste them and share Etienne and Aurélia’s story here. And as luck would have it, when I was in the Loire in February this year, the 2022s had just been released, so I managed to snag a bottle of each of the reds at the Cave à la Tonnelle in Saumur as well.

Saumur Rouge “La Nomade”

This is from a 0.5-hectare parcel of vines on a gentle east-facing slope from a single-lieu dit in the commune of Artannes-sur-Thouet, which is following the western bank of the Thouet River about 1.5km due west of Varrains and Chacé. The vines are on average about 20 years of age, and the soils are predominantly clay of moderate depth over the Middle Turonian tuffeau (craie verte).

In the cellar, the fruit is all destemmed, and fermentation is in stainless steel with indigenous yeast. A short, gentle maceration of about 8 to 10 days was to ensure fine tannins and to preserve the fruit character. The free run wine and press wine were aged separately in 225L barrels from the Tonnelerie Dussiaux, one third new, for about 12 to 15 months.

2021 Saumur Rouge “La Nomade” (13% abv)

Upon opening, the nose was a little closed but began to open up after about an hour. The nose exhibits a lot of purity and fragrance, while also showing nice depth. The fruits and herbaceous undertones of the variety are on even footing, with notes of sour cherry, morello cherry and red plum, intermingling with notes of tarragon, thai basil and sage. Even though the nose is a bit tight and compact at this stage of its life, there is a pleasant underpinning of spicy florals. The palate has a lovely juiciness, with an almost zesty acidity, and a definite spiciness that is likely a mix of varietal and oak spice, such as allspice and cardamom. The tannins are dense, fine-grained and silky in the mouth. The wine’s medium bodied frame is round, gourmand, with impressive density and concentration for the vintage. While a touch austere now, its weight and depth shows a lot of refinement and potential to improve with time in the bottle. I would say to sit on this for a couple of years, and enjoy the ‘22 in the meantime (see below).

2022 Saumur Rouge “La Nomade” (13.5% abv)

From a warmer vintage than 2021, the 2022 La Nomade immediately showed a bit of the solaire nature of the vintage. More open than the 2021, the nose initially showed a bit more marked presence of new oak, but quickly opened up with a bit of oxygen. The nose exhibits a nice equilibrium between fruit and herbaceousness in keeping with the 2021, with notes of bright cherry, raspberry and a touch of kirsch, complemented by peppery undertones and herbal aromas of tarragon, sage and peony. The nose also had a lingering note of toast from oak, but also a lovely mix of varietal spice (green peppercorn) and baking spice. The palate exhibits lively, invigorating acidity, with tannins that are silky and sleek with a finely-woven structure finishing with a plush, velvety texture. A medium weight, the 2022 also shows a certain roundness, generosity and flesh, while a sense of weightlessness and refinement. Balanced, pleasurable, but intellectual as well. Enjoyable now after an hour or so in a decanter, or allow all the elements to marry for a while in the cellar and enjoy in 5 or more years time.

Saumur-Champigny “Les Sybarites”

This cuvée is coming from multiple parcels and lieux-dits in the communes of Varrains, Chacé and Dampierre-sur-Loire, specifically around the hamlet of Chaintres. The parcels total about 2 hectares of vines that are about 40 years of age on average. The unifying point for these plots are south-facing exposures, shallower topsoil which is mostly a combination of sand and silt over the Middle Turonian tuffeau (craie verte).

The vinification for the Saumur-Champigny is the same as the Saumur Rouge. 100% destemmed, with fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeast, with 8 to 10 days on skins. The free run and press wines were treated the same as the Saumur Rouge, and the only real difference which was the élevage for the Saumur-Champigny was in older 400L oak barrels for about 12 to 15 months.

2021 Saumur-Champigny “Les Sybarites” (13% abv)

The ‘21 Les Sybarites was also a little closed on opening, but then started to come around after about an hour of being open. The wine exhibits a very classic nose of ripe cherry, black raspberry and wild blueberry. The wine is more fruit-forward than the Saumur Rouge, with the herbaceous undertones taking a back seat to the gorgeous, perfectly ripe red and darker fruits. The fruit on the nose is complemented by notes of thyme, cedar leaves, violets and rose. Once given time to breathe, the nose is quite lifted and heady, with a pleasant fragrance and plenty of depth. On the palate, the fruit leads followed by acidity that crescendos to a lively, energetic climax. The tannins are finely woven with a cashmere-like texture in the mouth, and with a taut, chalky finish. In the background, there is lovely warming layers of nutmeg and clove that pull everything together. This is very classic example of cellar-worthy Saumur-Champigny that is dense, with lots of tension, mineral persistence, and striking a beautiful balance of fleshy fruit in a svelte, elegant frame.

2022 Saumur-Champigny “Les Sybarites” (13.5% abv)

The Les Sybarites ‘22 is remarkably open and giving right out of the gate exhibiting a fruit-forward nose of sweet Bing cherry, wild blueberry compote with a touch of cranberry juice cocktail. The perfectly ripe fruits are complemented by a perfumed mix of herbal and floral undertones such as fresh thyme and mint, as well as a mix of sweet lilacs and violets. The nose is very pure and inviting and shows beautiful depth, while also being lifted and fragrant. The palate leads with vibrant, mouth-watering acidity that is persistent from the initial attack right through to the finish. The succulent acidity intermingles with finely woven, taut firm tannins that have a texture reminiscent of a fine Egyptian cotton. The fruit on the palate follows the nose with additional notes of star anise, allspice and white pepper. The wine has a touch more concentration than the 2021, but still exhibits a linear profile while also having some nice flesh on its bones, with a lot of verve and mineral tension. This 2022 is a statement wine, with power and presence in the glass, while also demonstrating restraint and finesse. Very harmonious, contemplative, while also being open and companionable. It is drinking well now, but there is decades of life in this bottle, so no rush.

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All in all, the 2021 reds are a touch tight at the moment and in need of a bit of time, which makes sense given the cooler, more “classic” vintage, but could be enjoyed now with a generous decanting in advance; while I find the sunny 2022s to be showing quite well at the moment and both cuvées will definitely improve with time in the bottle. Regardless of the vintage, both the Saumur Rouge and Saumur-Champigny are thoughtfully made, well-built, and will improve in the cellar.

Across the board, this is an extremely impressive first couple of vintages for Etienne and Aurélia Moly. Knowing their passion for their work in the vineyard and the peers that they have surrounded themselves with across the region, I have no doubt that with each passing vintage the line up from Domaine Moly will continue to improve and impress. This is a domaine I look forward to following in the years and decades to come.