Ferme du Mont Benault - 'Petits Cailloux' - Grolleau Gris, Cab Franc - Loire Valley, FR - 2021

White from Red and Grey Grapes! This wine has the heart of a coastal loire wine but the allusion to red fruit and the texture of something more. This wine is both so serious, and yet priced low enough, and approachable enough to soar out of the fridge on any given tuesday afternoon.

Get it.

APPELLATION
VIN DE FRANCE
COLOR
WHITE WINE
VINTAGE
2021
FARMING
ORGANIC
VINE AGE
9 YEARS
VARIETAL
60% GROLLEAU GRIS, 40% CABERNET FRANC (BLANC DE NOIR)
ALCOHOL
12.5%
SOIL
CLAY ON RED SCHISTS
FERMENTATION
FERMENTED WITH NATURAL YEASTS.
AGING
5 MONTHS IN TANK. FILTERED. UNFINED. SO2
30 MG/L
AGING POTENTIAL
5 YEARS
CASES PRODUCED

500 CASES

In 2008 Stéphane, decided to leave Paris where he used to work in communication to get closer to his wines roots.
In 2010, he found an abandoned large farm with a cellar in Faye d’Anjou and started to make wines in 2011.
Stéphane organically grows his vines; the harvest is carried out entirely by hand. He limits inputs in the cellar, with just a little or no sulfur.
In 2012, he began to replant the hillside of purple schists, sandstone schists and phtanites with Chenin, Grolleau noir, Grolleau gris.
Today Stéphane cultivates 6.5 hectares of vines, including 2.5 hectares of young vines which are starting to produce little by little.
He is part of the collective of young natural winegrowers from Anjou called “En Joue Connection”, in which amateurs will recognize many rising stars ... Stéphane Rocher enjoys composing natural Loire wines that he wants to be accessible to a wide audience. His wines are pleasant for both amateurs and novices.