Antoine Sanzay, Saumur Blanc, Les Essarts, Saumur, Varrains, Anjou-Saumur, Loire, France, 2021

Producer Profile

Antoine Sanzay is the sixth generation of the Sanzay family to tend their vines. Having studied at the Lycée Viticole at Montreuil-Bellay, he took over the running of the family domaine in 1999.

Antoine’s father tragically passed away when he was 10, just as his grandfather was verging on retirement. While Antoine’s father was a wine lover, his grandfather was the opposite: what mattered to him was to work the land for a living, with all the grapes sold to the local co- operative. With no solid guidance, Antoine had to start from scratch. And while this obliged him to rely on his wits, it also gave him the freedom to experiment. “I think it can be easier for the children to start with a new name than following their father’s legacy with all the baggage that can come with it,” he says. While Antoine may have had to learn on his own, he took inspiration from many great Loire personalities, including Guy Bossard, Jo Pithon, Thierry Germain, Jo Landron, Les Frères Foucault and Bernard Baudry. It was not until 2002 that Antoine made his first vintage, having slowly made the switch to organic practices. By 2011, he was fully organic, and in 2014 became fully certified bio and Ecocert. 2014 was also the first vintage in which he bottled his entire production and ceased selling to the local co-operative, which prior to that provided much-needed financial support. Today, there is stylistic continuity throughout the range, with great tension, focus and vibrant fruit harnessed to absolute linear precision. The reds show a brilliantly judged balance between intense crunchy berry fruits, brooding matière, croquant tannic grip and a lingering refined floral element mixed with lovely bite and length. It was not until 2002 Antoine made his first vintage. With slowly having made the switch to organic practices, in 2007 Antoine started experimenting deeper in to organic viticulture and converted his vineyards by 2011, becoming fully certified bio and Ecocert in 2014. 2014 was also his first vintage where he bottled his entire production and stopped selling to the local cooperative, Antoine admitted “I started with almost nothing and I needed the local cooperative to help me financially”. Throughout the range you will find there is stylistic continuity, with great tension, focus, vibrant fruit harnessed to absolute linear precision. The reds show a brilliantly judged balance between intense crunchy berry fruits, brooding matiere, croquant tannic grip, and a lingering refined floral element mixed with lovely bite and length.

Viticulture

From a tiny .25 hectare parcel of clay and limestone near the village of Brézé,

Winemaking

Hand harvested and fermented for 4 months in 600 litre oak barrels with native yeasts, aged on the fine lees for 11 months in demi muids, half of which are new.

Tasting Note

A lively, dry and fruity organic white, Les Essarts has inviting aromas of grapefruit, pear, quince and citrus, along with brioche, toasted almond, honeycomb and a mineral flint character characterised by the terroir. Beautifully full-bodied on the palate, yet fresh with well-supported acidity and a fine saline touch on the finish.

Food Matching

Seafood, salads, goat cheese and sweet and sour dishes.