Saumur-Champigny 2006 Tasting Notes

Saumur-Champigny 2004

Our Partners’ wine this year is from the 2004 vintage.  This was a superb year for producing wine under ideal conditions.  Brothers Jean-Luc and Jean-Albert Mary have taken advantage of the excellent conditions to produce a classic Saumur-Champigny, made from Cabernet Franc grapes grown on the chalky soils of the plateau just south of Saumur. Having worked in Bordeaux, California and Australia, the Mary brothers bring a combination of classic and modern techniques to their winemaking.  The result is a wine that is consistently one of the very best wines of the Appellation.  

After the freakishly hot weather of 2003, 2004 represents a return to normality.  The weather was warm, without the excessive heat of the previous year, and generally dry.  Light rains just prior to harvest served to freshen the grapes, without diluting the flavours.  The harvest took place under ideal conditions and the grapes contained high sugar levels combined with soft ripe tannins.

The wine is of medium depth with delightful aromas of raspberry and black cherry.  The same red-fruit character comes through on the palate, where it is balanced by refreshing acidity and supple tannin.  It is perfect with roast lamb, and an ideal partner to cold meats.  

Cabernet Franc-based wines have tremendous ageing potential, and this 2004 vintage will develop complexity and reward cellaring over the next five or more years.