Tasting Notes
100% Chenin Blanc. Guiberteau’s 1.4-hectare Clos de Guichaux is a historically renowned vineyard located in Bizay terroir in the small village of Épieds, very near Brézé. It is a monopole for Guiberteau. The site is the classic clay/limestone of the region but has only 30cm of topsoil before the roots must plunge directly into the pure, chalky bedrock. It was replanted in the early 2000s with massale cuttings taken from the family’s best old vines in Brézé. It’s a site that is quickly cementing its place as one of Saumur’s finest white vineyards—thanks to wines like this.
2019 was yet another frost-affected year of low yields for Guiberteau. But what nature has taken with one hand, she has given with the other. Otherwise a dry and sunny year, the vintage has provided perfectly ripe and strikingly fresh whites with all the trademark savoury, mineral drive one expects from this domaine. The 2019 was fermented and raised for 12 months on lees in two- to four-year-old barrels (600-litre, light-toast Atelier Centre France and François Frères that had previously housed the Brézé cuvée), followed by six months in tank.
As you would expect, this is a step up from the wines above, particularly in its aromatic complexity. The nose is striking, an almost Riesling-esque brew of feijoa, hints of pineapple and crushed rock. The palate is a study in silk and texture, tapering to an explosive, driven finish licked by salty minerals and quinine freshness. A masterful Guichaux. - Importer Note
Domaine Guiberteau has rapidly ascended to cult status in the Loire Valley, producing some of the region’s most thrilling expressions of Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Based in Saumur, the domaine is centred on old vines planted in the Brézé area, a terroir long regarded as one of the Loire’s greatest for Chenin Blanc. The vineyards sit on chalky tuffeau limestone with clay and sand topsoils, yielding wines of striking tension, depth and longevity.
The domaine’s history dates back to the early 20th century, but its modern renaissance began in the late 1990s when Romain Guiberteau returned to take over from his grandfather. With guidance from Clos Rougeard’s Nady Foucault, he embraced organic viticulture, rigorous vineyard selection, and a philosophy of minimal intervention in the cellar. Today, Guiberteau farms around 9 hectares, all certified organic, with a focus on low yields and precision.
His range spans from the vibrant and saline Saumur Blanc and Saumur Rouge, to single-vineyard bottlings such as Clos de Guichaux, Les Arboises and the legendary Brézé, each reflecting the nuances of their specific sites. The whites are crystalline and mineral, often compared to great white Burgundy, while the reds show Cabernet Franc at its most refined, combining perfume, texture and intensity.
Domaine Guiberteau has become a touchstone for the new generation of Loire growers: a domaine that delivers wines of both immediate drinkability and profound cellar potential, with authenticity and terroir at their core.
| Product Type | Wine White Chenin Blanc |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | France |
| Region | Loire Valley |
| Sub Region | Saumur |
| Winemaking Practices | Minimal Intervention |
| Vineyard Practices | Organic/Biodynamic |