We debated at length which winery and which wines to include in our first email offer. Since launching Legacy our intentions have been clear: bring to light producers and bottles which themselves represent Legacies being written in the wine world. We’re seeking small, family-owned wineries that our members cannot find elsewhere, but absolutely need to learn about.
Etienne Bodet meets this criteria and has absolutely captivated the staff since our first visit to the domain last year. Etienne is a fifth-generation winemaker based in the town of Montreuil-Bellay, which itself is about 15 kilometers south of Saumur, the most famous wine region on the planet for Cabernet Franc obsessives. While his family has been producing wine for generations, the focus was always on local consumption and wines made for early drinking. This all changed in 2015 when Etienne was given a walled 1.4 ha (3.46 ac) wedding present parcel of Cabernet Franc vines in a section of vineyard known as Clos Durandière. These vines were planted in the early eighties and rest on a bed of Jurassic limestone, of which there are minuscule amounts in the entirety of the region.
Clos Durandiere Vineyard
For the wine nerds this means that Etienne’s vineyard holdings sit on the same soil structure as the famous Burgundy wines of the Côte de Nuits. Cabernet Franc being grown on ground whose geological properties are akin to Vosne-Romanee…..and let me tell you, they produce a remarkably complex, and aromatically intoxicating wine. Couple this with the fact that Etienne has worked under legendary wine names such Pataille, Baudry, Gerbais, Guiberteau, and made wine at Clos Rougeard.
This is all very technical….and we could go into length regarding the fact that he is using very restrained winemaking with a strong emphasis on sustainable, highly intensive and hands-on farming practices (Biodynamic), but first let’s discuss the wines from Etienne we have grown to love.
Graippeaux 2023 - AOC Saumur Blanc: A Chenin Blanc of terrific richness and aromatics reminiscent of savory herbs and smokey orchard fruits. The vines are a 70-year-old massal selection growing on green chalk topped by a clay-silt layer. Bottling took place without fining or filtration, following 22 months of aging.
Clos Durandière 2022 - AOC Saumur Rouge: One of the most compelling Cabernet Francs we’ve ever tasted. Complex, vibrant red fruit flavors are combined with delicate aromas of lavender and sage. The texture is simultaneously fully fleshed out but has a spine of acidity that only limestone can deliver. The vine were planted in 1983 in the commune of Montreuil-Bellay. Vinification is carried out without any inputs—using indigenous yeasts—and includes a portion of whole-cluster fruit. Aged in barrels for 24 months; these barrels were sourced largely from the *Le Bourg* cuvée of Clos Rougeard.
Clarum des Vaudelles 2024 - AOC Saumur Rosé: A deeply colored Rosé that drinks like a blend of young white & red Burgundy. You heard me correctly. There’s a creaminess to the texture of this wine that when paired with the red fruit character of Cabernet Franc delivers something completely unique but utterly elegant. The vineyard of Clos des Vaudelles is also walled, planted in 1972, and is situated directly opposite Clos Durandière. The farming is identical; only the geology differs. The vines rest upon gray marl from the Oxfordian age, with a surface layer of clay. 72-hour maceration—aged in barrels for 10 months.
Etienne’s wines are rapidly becoming an unobtainable cult commodity in the wine world. We get it. We’ve walked the Clos Durandière vineyard, we’ve tasted with Etienne, and we’ve seen what unfolds in the glass from every bottle. These aren’t wines that were made to be another option on your local grocery store shelf. They were born out of tireless care from someone whose passion guides every decision.
My favorite thing about Etienne is that when he tastes his own wine in the cellar, its as if the whole world stops moving. While he may have tasted this exact barrel dozens of times at this point, he approaches it as if this is his first opportunity to learn from it. He leans in, getting up close with the bright liquid in his glass, and then pauses for a long silent moment while the wine speaks…
The wine has a lot to say.
