La Folle Berthe ‘Grande Berthe’ Rouge 2016
Location: France, Loire, Saumur
Winemaker: David Foubert
Grapes: Cabernet Franc
Soil: limestone, clay, flinty top soil
Winemaking: Élévage in tank before aging commences in neutral containers for some months. Unfined, unfiltered, no added sulfites.
From us at M&L: ‘Grande Berthe’ is from 40+ year old Cab Franc vines. As lively and refreshing as it is, ‘Grande Berthe’ is equally gastronomic. A Spring dinner of lamb and roast veggies would be classic, but also pair it with a smokey stew, harissa-tinged tagine, or a pepper and onion pizza.
“After 15 years of a boring career in communication, chained to a computer all day, the call of the great outdoors has saved us...” says winemaker David Foubert. He and his family relocated to Saumur, in the Loire Valley, near Anges. He studied wine making there and worked for several beloved growers in the area, including Sebastien David and Patrick Corbineau.
Being more or less empty-handed, David is leasing parcels of vines from recently retired Philippe Gourdon of Chateau Tour Grise, which means that David has top-quality, biodynamically grown grapes at his disposal. The vineyards are located within the prestigious Puy-Notre Dame. His first vintage, 2014, was vinified at friends Domaine Melaric’s cellar, but he now has his own restored cellar to work in - a perfectly sized cave that had been unused for 40 years!
David is certainly very fortunate, and he knows this. But he also knows that it takes much more than luck to produce exceptional wine. He is blessed with exquisite terroir (limestone, clay with flinty top soils) and older vines of Chenin and Cabernet Franc. His hard work maintaining the vines and his light touch are apparent, even just a few vintages in; these are clear-eyed and pure wines that have a silky, drinkable structure and also harken to the historic styles of Anjou.
From the Importer Jeffrey Alpert Selections: After fifteen years of office work in Paris, David Foubert packed up his bags for Saumur. After studying with Melanie Hunin of Domaine Mélaric and working for vignerons such as Sébastien Bobinet, Sébastian David, and Bruno Duchêne, David was finally able to take over some longtime biodynamically-farmed plots from Phillip Gourdon, who had just retired at the time from Château Tour Grise in Puy-Notre-Dame. When looking for a home to vinify his first vintage in 2014, David’s teacher Melanie allowed her old student access Domaine Mélaric’s cellar. Shortly after, David discovered an abandoned cellar he patiently restored and began to work out of the following year. David currently farms 4.3 ha of Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau, and Pineau d’Aunis in Saumur. These certified biodynamic wines require some patience from drinkers as David does not shy away from a slow fermentation and long élevage. Drinkers will be rewarded with wines that a fully realized and brim with the energy and finesse. A final fun fact: the name La Folle Berthe (meaning crazy bear in French) comes from a pun on David’s last name...Foubert!