2018 Thibaud Boudignon Savennieres La Vigne Cendree

Based in Savennieres, Thibaud Boudignon is one of the new young stars of the Loire Valley. In addition to his prime plots in Savennieres, Thibaud also owns two small vineyards across the river on the south side of the Loire in the Anjou. Thibaud has worked with Philippe Charlopin in Gevrey Chambertin, Chateau Lafite Rothschild in Bordeaux (amongst others) and also in Australia before settling in the Loire, thereby building up a wealth of experience without having been born into a wine producing family. Working organically in the vineyards he harvests by hand making successive tries throughout each vineyard ending with yields that are much lower than the appellation rules allow. In the winery the grapes are whole bunch pressed with no settling and the juice is kept cold before starting a long slow fermentation. He vinifies with natural yeasts and ages the wines on lees with minimal SO2 in a mixture of barrels ranging from 300-600 litres.

This tiny site of 0.5 ha on soils of clay over purple schist and granite lies high above Chateau de Varennes not far from La Roche aux Moines. Thibaud bought and renovated this plot in 2014. This small vineyard is enclosed by trees on all sides so it is a peaceful space where one hears only the birds. "La Vigne Cendrée", in spite of its small surface is an exceptional mosaic of terroir : purple schist, granite and clay silt. Because of the clay and the southern exposition, this wine is naturally richer. Half is aged in 226 litre burgundy barrels and half in foudre, with no new wood, for 12 months.

Other Reviews....
The 2018 Savennières La Vigne Cendrée (cinder or ash vine) comes from three-year-old vines in a small, south-facing vineyard with a complex terroir changing from purple schist to granite to clayey silt. It was vinified naturally in Burgundian barrels and in foudre for 12 months, with no new oak, and bottled with 12% alcohol. The wine opens with intense but also pure, delicate, floral-scented fruit that is absolutely alluring in its slatey fragrancy and spiciness. On the palate, this medium-weight Chenin is pure, clear, fresh, light-footed, remarkably filigreed and finessed but also dense and intense, celebrating delicate and elegant Chenin fruit. What a beautiful drinking pleasure! This is a frisky, vital, energetic, minerally grippy and stimulatingly tensioned, sustainably salty and palate-tickling Savennières in the leaner, fresher, classical style. A pretty fabulous result for such a young vineyard in such a dramatically dry and hot vintage. Natural cork. Tasted in January 2022. Drink 2022-2033.
94 points
Stephan Reinhardt - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate