Brendan Stater-West, Saumur, La Ripaille 2020 - 75cl
Brendan Stater-West is the American who learned Cabernet Franc at the elbow of Romain Guiberteau, one of Saumur's finest, then struck out on his own. La Ripaille is his single-vineyard statement: a 1.1-hectare west-facing parcel in the commune of Brézé, planted with Cabernet Franc back in the 1960s. This is old-vine fruit from one hallowed slope, not a blend of many.
Brézé is the grand cru heart of Saumur, and the reason is underfoot: sandy loam over Turonian limestone that runs deep. That chalk gives the wine its spine and its distinctive mineral cut. Stater-West sorts in the vineyard, ferments whole-berry in concrete with a gentle week-long infusion, then ages the wine on its lees in ex-Guiberteau barrels, mostly seasoned, with just one new barrel added each year. The oak is a frame, never a flavour.
The 2020 is a beauty. Earth and spice frame deep black raspberry and dark berry fruit, with a peppery, faintly herbal lift that is pure Loire Cabernet Franc. The structure is there but supple, the fruit juicy, and that limestone gives a mouth-watering, focused close. Serve it with a slight chill and it comes alive. This is serious Saumur from a rising star, drinking well now and good for a decade in the cellar.
How to Serve
Serve at 15-16°C, even lightly chilled, in a Burgundy-style glass. A 30-minute decant suits the young 2020, opening the fruit and softening the fine tannin.
Where to Drink It
Noble Rot, whose Loire list is among London's best and would revel in this. The River Cafe for a Cab Franc beside seasonal Italian cooking. Wolseley for a grown-up glass at lunch.
Food Pairings
Made for roast duck breast with a cherry or blackberry reduction, the fruit and acidity cutting the richness. It also loves a plate of charcuterie and cornichons.
