{"product_id":"2022-saumur-champigny-domaine-du-collier-copy","title":"2022 Saumur-Champigny, Domaine du Collier","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA pure, gently perfumed Cabernet Franc that channels Antoine Foucault's Clos Rougeard roots. The nose opens with black and red currant, violet, and crushed stone, layered with a savory edge of dried herbs and a whisper of graphite-like minerality — expressive but never green.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOn the palate, the wine shows real finesse: fine, sandy tannins and a silky texture carry bright red and black fruit across a chalky, mineral-driven core. The 2022 vintage's warmth lends a touch of generosity and ripeness, but the wine retains the classic Saumur-Champigny lift and freshness, with none of the heaviness riper years can bring.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe finish is long and precise, closing on notes of violet, dried thyme, and a faint smoky nuance from patient barrel aging. Approachable now for its charm and purity, but built with enough structure to reward several years in the cellar.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin a short period of time Antoine Foucault is already making some of the most exciting wines in the Loire Valley. The Domaine du Collier was created in 1999 by Antoine (son of Charly Foucault from the famed Clos Rougeard) and his wife Caroline.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving worked at Clos Rougeard for four years and still at the young age of 26 he took the opportunity to buy four-hectares of vines (through his family) in the commune of Brézé in the best lieu-dit of ‘La Ripaille’. The estate comprises 6 hectares with the vast majority of the estate planted to Chenin Blanc (including some 100 year old vines) and just under a hectare of Cabernet Franc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Antoine is dedicated to natural viticulture, without the use of chemical treatments, fertilizers, or weed killers. The harvest is manual with strict sorting carried out in the vineyards. In his deep cellar, Antoine does not use commercial yeast, and doesn’t treat the wine with sulphur until bottling. His cellar is underground and actually part of Clos Rougeard. It is renowned for being very cold and this protects the wines in élevage and I think goes some way to explaining the glacial development of the wines in bottle. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe end results are brilliant and it is probably no surprise that demand for them is very high and as a result they can be very hard to find.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Domaine du Collier","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48624870195385,"sku":null,"price":189.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0161\/5184\/files\/CollierSC.jpg?v=1787193981","url":"https:\/\/www.andrewguard.com.au\/products\/2022-saumur-champigny-domaine-du-collier-copy","provider":"Andrew Guard","version":"1.0","type":"link"}