The 2024 Thierry Germain Saumur Blanc L’Insolite is a beautifully chiselled and deeply mineral Chenin Blanc from one of the Loire Valley’s benchmark biodynamic producers. Produced under Thierry Germain’s celebrated Roches Neuves estate, the wine comes primarily from old-vine parcels around Saumur planted on clay-limestone soils rich in flint, sandstone and tuffeau. Fermented naturally in large Stockinger oak casks and aged on fine lees, L’Insolite has become one of the Loire’s reference-point dry Chenins, combining texture and depth with remarkable freshness and precision. The 2024 vintage is especially vibrant and aromatic, shaped by early harvesting and meticulous biodynamic farming that preserve purity and tension.
The nose reveals pear, white peach and preserved lemon layered alongside white flowers, ginger and smoky flint minerality, giving the wine remarkable aromatic lift and complexity. On the palate, it is light to medium-bodied with vibrant natural acidity, silky texture and a tightly wound saline mineral core. Layers of citrus oil, orchard fruit and gentle lees richness unfold with chalky tension and subtle phenolic grip, finishing long, stony and beautifully persistent with exceptional energy and finesse. Critics and merchants consistently highlight the wine’s “savory stoniness,” powdery structure and Riesling-like precision, while noting its hallmark salty mineral finish and impressive ageing potential.
Ben’s Recommendation:
The 2024 Thierry Germain Saumur Blanc L’Insolite is a world-class Loire Chenin Blanc — mineral, textured and beautifully refined with outstanding freshness and terroir detail. Perfect with roast chicken, scallops, baked white fish, goat’s cheese, mushroom dishes or refined seafood cuisine. Enjoy now with decanting or cellar comfortably through 2035+.
