Arnaud Lambert 'Mazurique' Saumur 2024

Arnaud Lambert established his domaine in 2017, merging his family's Domaine de Saint-Just with rented parcels from the historic Château de Brézé. He farms more than 40 hectares of organic vineyards in Saumur, where the continental climate is unusually dry thanks to the rain shadow of the Massif Armoricain. The vineyards sit on tuffeau limestone bedrock with topsoil variations of clay and sand.

Clos Mazurique is 100% Cabernet Franc from the coldest red grape site in Lambert's range. Planted 40 years ago at 50 metres on a flat parcel of white tuffeau limestone with just 35 centimetres of sand and clay topsoil. Destemmed and fermented in concrete, two-thirds for 8 to 10 days with light daily pumpovers, one-third for 20 days on skins with no extractions. First sulphites at bottling. Nothing else added along the way.

A Cabernet Franc that doesn't try too hard because it doesn't need to! It's simply perfect. Fresh, bright, with that cool tuffeau minerality as the real backbone and pillar of the wine. This would be perfect with a hands-off roast chicken. Just throw it in the oven covered in butter and herbs and let the hours go by while it becomes fall-apart-y. Then crack the Franc open and ENJOY.