Thierry Germain

Thierry Germain's Domaine Roches Neuves has rightfully become one of the greatest examples of high achievement in biodynamic vine growing in France. Planted in the Saumur (Blanc) and Saumur-Champigny (Rouge) appellations, Thierry's vineyards produce some of the most exciting wines in the Loire Valley today.

Thierry, a Bordeaux native, relocated to the Loire in the early 1990s and soon fell under the influence of his spiritual father, Charly Foucault of Clos Rougeard. This experience led Thierry to convert his entire domaine to biodynamic viticulture, a decision that revolutionized his winemaking approach. By listening and observing his plants, Thierry is able to guide them towards producing pure, finessed, and eminently drinkable Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc.

Thierry's dedication to site-specific, "parcellaire" wines is evident in his meticulous vinification and aging processes. His whites are fermented and aged in large oval foudres, while the reds rest in round foudres and demi-muids in the domaine's frigid tuffeau cellars. The result is a portfolio of wines that showcase the incredible diversity of the domaine's terroirs with utter clarity and precision.

While most of Thierry's bottlings bear the Roches Neuves name, he also collaborates with his long-time associate and vineyard manager, Michel Chevré, who purchased some of his own vineyards with Thierry's encouragement. These wines are followed by Thierry, Michel, and their team (biodynamically, of course) from vine to cellar and vinified at Roches Neuves in Varrains.

In the same league as other biodynamic luminaries like Abbatucci in Corsica, Ganevat in the Jura, and Ostertag in Alsace, Thierry Germain and Domaine Roches Neuves are undoubtedly at the forefront of the natural winemaking movement in the Loire Valley.