Originally from Oregon in the United States, Brendan Stater-West has had one of the best mentors in the region in Romain Guiberteau. Still working closely alongside him, he now also has a very small plot of his own and produces just one wine within the Saumur appellation. Located close to the village of Brézé (home to some of the most exciting Chenin Blancs coming out of the region in the past few years), Brendon is making a wine that suits his palate and ours too.
Originally in Paris to teach English, Brendan fell in love with wine and worked on the retail side at Daniel Rose’s highly regarded Spring. It was during this time that he became familiar with the wines of Romain Guiberteau and decided that he had enough of city life and wanted to be more closely connected with wine in the countryside. He badgered Romain Guiberteau for over a month until he finally gave in and accepted Brendan as an apprentice. While working closely alongside Romain he studied viticulture and winemaking and when a small I hectare parcel became available, he leapt at the chance to make his own wine.
We are particularly partial to the wines that come from around Brézé. This location, close to Saumur, has long been neglected when it comes to white wines and the great majority of vines planted fall under the Saumur Champigny appellation which is red wine only predominantly from the Cabernet Franc grape. If you were to go back to the 12th century however, this terroir and is white wines were highly prized. On limestone soils, the vineyards around Brezé (this parcel is not in the actual village of Brézé but located 2km to the south), make white wines with beautiful tension and acidity. Completely different from the wines of Vouvray or Anjou, these Saumur whites have a freshness and liveliness that is mouthwatering.
His wines are made in a very non-interventionist manner using indigenous yeast (just the natural yeast that is present on the skin of the grape) and no additions are made apart from a tiny amount of sulphites at bottling to preserve the wine at its best. Brendan seeks a fairly rapid fermentation, allowing the temperature to rise to between 20 and 25° and does remontage to give the yeasts oxygen to do their work. As the pH of the wines was low (ie acidity naturally high), the wines did not under go malolactic fermentation (the bacterial transformation that transforms the sharper malic acid into the softer lactic acid). These wines have beautiful acidity and will have the capacity to age beautifully for years to come. This lean, purity of style is something that marks out the wines from this particular area of the Loire valley. His wines have 12 months in barriques, just 2 new and the rest 3-4 wines of 300-400L and then some time in tank before bottling.
Les Chapaudaises, Saumur Blanc
The 2016 (not due to be bottled until May or June 2018) is tight and elegant on the nose with a saline note and a slightly bitter almond quality. The acidity is pronounced in a beautifully tense, clean way that makes it both mouthwatering and invigorating at the same time. Just 2,500 bottles of this to come next year if you can find one.
The 2015 has a very different aroma on the nose. Fuller and richer but again with beautiful freshness and minerality, it has more texture on the palate and has a long finish. The acidity seems less marked than on the 2015 but this would reflect the vintage variation, 2015 being a warmer year. Brendon made 4,500 bottles of this wine.
If you’re lucky you’ll find Brendan’s wines at selected outlets around the world. See the Becky Wasserman website for more details here.
