Thibaud Boudignon, 2020 Rosé de Loire, Anjou
Cab Franc du Jour #64
Thibaud Boudignon is one of the most exciting winemakers to watch in Anjou. Originally from Bordeaux, his story in the region begins in 2009, and his meticulous attention to detail in both vineyard and cellar has earned him considerable praise and respect in a remarkably short time. His primary focus is Chenin Blanc across the Anjou and Savennières appellations, but today we are looking at his rosé from Cabernet Franc.
Rosé in Anjou
Anjou has a long and significant history with rosé. References dating to medieval times describe the clairet wines of Anjou, which would have resembled today’s darker, more structured styles of rosé more closely than the pale versions we associate with Provence.
The first rosés made specifically from Cabernet Franc date to 1905, and rosé from the variety came into wider fashion in the 1930s. The Cabernet d’Anjou appellation was formally established in 1957, and today Cabernet d’Anjou accounts for around 67% of rosé production across the Anjou-Saumur region, making it the best-selling rosé in France after Provence rosé.
The character of the local microclimate and soils, particularly the schistous Anjou Noir terroirs, is directly tied to the history and importance of rosé production here.
Cabernet Franc & Schist: A Complicated Relationship
Cabernet Franc struggles to fully ripen on schist, and it is worth understanding why. Schist is a dense, brittle metamorphic rock with poor water retention. It absorbs and stores solar heat well, but it warms slowly in spring, which shortens the effective growing season for Cabernet Franc. The topsoils along the Layon River vineyards are also shallow, meaning less clay and a cooler overall soil environment. Together, the schist bedrock and limited topsoil depth put Cabernet Franc at something of a disadvantage from a ripening standpoint. Schist is also an acidic rock with a low pH, which may further affect nutrient availability and the variety’s ability to achieve full ripeness, though this is less well-documented.
In practical terms, full phenolic ripeness of Cabernet Franc on these soils is very difficult to achieve consistently. For red wine production, the combination of schist and incomplete ripeness can amplify the variety’s inherent structure and rusticity, producing wines with strict, sometimes coarse tannins if the fruit is not handled with great care. The limited moisture also results in smaller berries with a higher skin-to-juice ratio, which in a red wine context can intensify those characteristics further.
For rosé production, however, the calculus is quite different. Full ripeness is not a requirement when there is no extended maceration of skins and seeds, and those same small, concentrated berries deliver more colour and structure even with short skin contact. The schist contributes freshness, brightness, and a saline minerality to the finished wine rather than amplifying rusticity, making it a genuinely well-suited terroir for the style.
The Vineyard
Thibaud’s 2020 rosé is sourced from 3 hectares of vines across two communes on the left bank, or south side, of the Layon River: Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay and Lys Haut Layon. The vines average 25 to 40 years of age and are farmed organically. The bedrock here is Brioverian schist, with a relatively shallow topsoil of around 30 to 40cm composed predominantly of clay with some sand and rhyolite, a silica-rich volcanic rock.
In the Cellar
The wine is made by direct press using 100% whole cluster, with fermentation in stainless steel with indigenous yeast. It then ages on fine lees for six months before bottling. It is also worth noting that the wine contains approximately 10% Grolleau, which Thibaud explains contributes a touch of softness and roundness to the mouthfeel.
Wine Details
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%