The 2022 Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny La Marginale is a profound and beautifully sculpted Cabernet Franc from one of the Loire Valley’s benchmark biodynamic estates. Produced by Thierry Germain from organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards on clay-limestone soils in Saumur-Champigny, La Marginale is one of the domaine’s flagship cuvées — a wine that consistently combines remarkable purity, mineral tension and ageing potential with the elegance that defines great Loire Cabernet Franc. The warm yet balanced 2022 vintage brings additional concentration and textural depth while preserving the crystalline freshness and finesse that are hallmarks of Germain’s wines. The wine is aged for around a year in large 25-hectolitre casks, preserving both purity and terroir transparency.
The nose reveals blackberry, wild raspberry and red cherry layered alongside rose petal, peony, menthol, graphite and delicate leafy spice, giving the wine extraordinary aromatic lift and complexity. On the palate, it is medium-bodied with silky yet finely structured tannins, vibrant natural acidity and a tightly focused mineral core. Layers of dark and red berry fruit, savoury herbal complexity and chalky limestone tension unfold with remarkable precision, finishing long, ethereal and beautifully persistent with outstanding ageing potential. Critics have praised the wine’s “vertical sensation,” powdery tannins and refined, enveloping texture, with Wine Advocate awarding the 2022 vintage 92+ points and La Revue du Vin de France rating it 94/100.
Ben’s Recommendation:
The 2022 Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny La Marginale is a world-class Loire Cabernet Franc — mineral, layered and exquisitely refined with extraordinary precision and freshness. Perfect with roast duck, lamb, pigeon, mushroom dishes or refined French cuisine. Enjoy now with extended decanting or cellar gracefully through 2045+.
