Etienne Bodet is one of the Loire’s most compelling new voices. A native of Montreuil-Bellay and currently one of the winemakers at the legendary Clos Rougeard, Etienne brings a rare combination of technical precision and instinctive, low-intervention sensibility to everything he touches. After training with luminaries like Sylvain Pataille, Bernard Baudry, and François Guiberteau (his stepfather), Etienne launched his own domaine in 2020 with a small parcel gifted to him as a wedding present. He farms biodynamically, works without additives, and lets time, terroir, and intuition guide the élevage.
Les Graippeaux is Etienne’s first white wine from La Durandière—a single 1.5-hectare plot of 70-year-old, massale-selection chenin blanc planted on classic Saumur tuffeau: sandy green glauconitic chalk with calcareous sandstone and a top layer of clay-silt. This northwest-facing slope in the village of Ternay is known for producing some of the appellation’s most refined whites.
The 2022 was directly pressed, fermented with ambient yeasts in used 228L and 600L barrels, underwent full malo, and aged for 22 months on the lees. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, it’s a vivid and layered expression of old-vine chenin blanc.
Aromatically, the wine is rich and mineral-driven: Meyer lemon, candied citrus peel, gingerbread spice, and wet stone. The palate is medium-bodied, buzzing with acidity, finely textured, and finishing long and saline. This debut marks a thrilling new chapter for Etienne—and for Saumur blanc.
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To preserve the integrity of your wines, orders are placed on hold during warmer months. Your wines will ship as weather permits, and the daily range is consistently between 45 and 74 degrees. Please note that pre-arrival sales are non-refundable, as suppliers require us to make binding commitments and deposits to secure the wine.
