Thierry Germain moved to Varrains in 1992, where he makes Saumur whites (from 3 hectares of Chenin) and Saumur-Champigny (from 19 hectares of Cabernet Franc). His philosophy is entirely based on the way in which he works the vines. "Science is useless when the grapes are of mediocre quality: if the vine is neglected, it cannot yield the desired nectar". This is why the domain is run entirely according to biodynamic principles (certified in 2005), in a bid to breathe new life into the soil. The wine-maker only intervenes in the plant's growth as a little added extra. Minimal intervention and natural, parcel-by-parcel vinification result in vintage after vintage of wines that are always different, never the same. Today, Thierry Germain is one of the best representatives of his generation, and has contributed to restoring the reputation of the Saumur appellation. He produces a sublime range, of a very high quality, among the finest wines of the appellation. A big favourite with the iDealwine team!

The Franc de pied cuvée is the most recent of Thierry Germain's wines, with the first vintage produced in 2008. It is produced from very young vines (which are franc de pied, i.e. not grafted onto American rootstocks), planted in clay-limestone soil, at a density of 10,000 vines per hectare, and with bunches of grapes vinified whole. The goal? To accentuate that Cabernet refinement even more. With only a thousand bottles produced across 0.18 hectares, this is something of a rarity! This wine offers aromas of red fruits and floral notes, while the palate is direct, clean, full and deep. An ideal wine to pair with red meat.