Thibaud Boudignon - Savennières - Franc de Pied 2023
Thibaud Boudignon signs with Franc de Pied 2023 one of the rarest and most radical cuvées of his estate, at the heart of the Savennières appellation. Made from a few ungrafted vines planted in the Clos de la Hutte, this Chenin Blanc seeks a direct expression of the terroir, without the intermediary of a rootstock. The gesture is all the more symbolic as the Clos de la Hutte is the founding plot of Thibaud Boudignon's adventure in La Possonnière. On these Anjou schists, where the bedrock sometimes appears almost immediately underfoot, the Chenin develops a tension, salinity, and verticality that are very characteristic. The estate, certified organic since 2019, works this place with extreme precision, in a logic of soil vitality, just maturity, and rigorous selection. Franc de Pied 2023 thus asserts itself as an exceptional wine, almost experimental in its rarity, but deeply rooted in the mineral identity of Savennières.
The Franc de Pied 2023 cuvée is made from 100% Chenin Blanc, from ungrafted vines located in the Clos de la Hutte. These ungrafted vines allow for a singular expression of the place, more direct, more naked, and particularly sensitive to the nature of the soil. The terroir rests on very present schists, with, depending on the areas, an outcropping rock or a thin layer of clay and sand before reaching the bedrock. For this 2023 vintage, Thibaud Boudignon chose an 18-month aging on fine lees, combining a glass Wine Globe, which preserves the purity of the fruit, and a barrel, which brings more flesh and texture. This combination accompanies the natural energy of the wine without artificially rounding it or masking its mineral brightness. The limited production of about 800 bottles reinforces the very rare character of this cuvée, conceived as an extremely pure reading of Chenin on schists. The result is a Savennières of great tension, deep, incisive, and designed for long aging.
On the palate, Franc de Pied 2023 reveals a very delicate nose, blending white flowers, wisteria, violet, fresh mint, and fine herbs. Notes of chervil, verbena, and lemongrass bring a very precise aromatic freshness, supported by an impression of rock salt, crushed chalk, and rock dust. The fruit appears gradually, around crunchy apple, white peach, tangy pineapple, lemon zest, and mandarin. On the palate, the wine impresses with its energy, wrapped density, and mineral axis, with flavors of citrus pulp, rhubarb, passion fruit, licorice, and aromatic herbs. The finish, long, saline, and vibrant, extends a sensation of almost crystalline purity, carried by juicy acidity and a matter of great precision. This rare Savennières deserves a few years in the cellar before being opened with seared langoustines in lobster sauce, a casserole of spider crab with glazed baby vegetables, or line-caught sea bass in a salt crust with beurre blanc and samphire. Its aging potential is considerable, and it will gain complexity over a decade or more under good conditions.
Grape variety: 100% Chenin Blanc
This item is limited to 1 unit per customer.
