Brendan Stater West, Saumur Rouge, La Ripaille, Anjou-Saumur, Loire, France, 2023

Producer Profile

Originally, from Oregon, Brendan Stater-West didn’t grow up in a winemaking family—just one that loved wine deeply.

Originally, from Oregon, Brendan Stater-West didn’t grow up in a winemaking family—just one that loved wine deeply. A move to France in 2007 to teach English unexpectedly ignited a passion that became a calling. He began working at the esteemed Domaine Guiberteau, where he still collaborates today, and in 2015 was offered the chance to lease a 1-hectare parcel of young Chenin Blanc in Bizay, neighboring the famed Clos de Guichaux. Brendan bottled his first vintage in 2017, crafting wines aged in neutral oak and stainless steel to preserve clarity and terroir expression. Inspired by Guiberteau’s precision and purity, his wines reflect a philosophy rooted in organic farming, minimal intervention, and disciplined winemaking—honest, transparent wines that speak clearly of place.

Viticulture

From a single west facing site called La Ripaille in Brézé, the 1.5 metre deep sandy loam topsoil's sit above Turonian limestone. Farming organically and sustainably Brendan has produced this wine since 2018.

Winemaking

Sorting carried out in the vineyard with a sorting table, the bunches are 100% de-stemmed, followed by a 1 to 2 week long native yeast fermentation. After a minimal extraction without pump-overs or punch-downs , the wine aged for 12 months on the lees in barrels then racked and aged for an additional 6 months in steel tank.

Tasting Note

Brendan magically shows the terroir of this site through this limestone earth, spicy Cabernet Franc. Lifted by blackberry and raspberry fruit there is a lovely structure about this wine which is juicy and lingering on the finish. A terrific Saumur!

Food Matching

Grilled meats, game, goat cheese, or traditional Loire dishes like sandre in beurre blanc.