Chai de la Dive, Saumur Le Moulin Rouge, Loire, France, 2024

Producer Profile

Chai de la Dive is a side‑project of Romain and Roland Guiberteau—esteemed growers in Saumur—established to broaden their exploration of the Loire beyond their main estate.

Drawing on organically farmed fruit from both younger estate vines and trusted growers across villages like Berrie, Épieds, Montreuil‑Bellay and Puy‑Notre‑Dame, the team crafts a trio of wines under the “Les Moulins” label: a white, rosé and red. Built on the Guiberteaus' philosophy of minimal intervention, Chai de la Dive delivers relaxed, terroir‑driven wines that are open, precise and utterly unpretentious.

Viticulture

The fruit for this red is sourced from organically farmed vineyards around Saumur, including Puy-Notre-Dame, Montreuil-Bellay and Brézé. Soils vary from tuffeau limestone to sandy-clay, enhancing aromatic complexity and structural finesse. Vines average 20–40 years old, and all work is done by hand—ploughing between rows, cover cropping for biodiversity, and no herbicides or synthetic inputs. Yields are kept moderate to encourage concentration without sacrificing freshness.

Winemaking

Harvest is done manually at optimal ripeness to preserve acidity and aromatic definition. Grapes are always destemmed. Fermentation occurs spontaneously with native yeasts in concrete or stainless steel tanks. Maceration is gentle, aiming for aromatic lift over extraction. The time on the skin is 4-6 days depending on the vintage. The wine is aged for 8–12 months in stainless steel tanks—without any new oak influence, ensuring the delicate Cabernet Franc fruit remains front and center. There is no fining, a light crossflow filtration, and sulphur additions are kept very low.

Tasting Note

This Cabernet Franc is a luminous expression of Loire Valley purity. It opens with lifted aromas of wild raspberries, red currant, violets, and a hint of cracked pepper. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied with a silky texture and fine-boned tannins. The fruit is juicy yet precise—notes of sour cherry, pomegranate, and fresh plum layer with herbal nuances of sage, graphite, and wet stone. There’s a subtle earthiness and a saline, mineral tension that brings energy through the long, clean finish. This is Loire Franc at its most drinkable and elegant.

Food Matching

Herb-roasted chicken or duck with root vegetables, lentil and mushroom cassoulet.