{"product_id":"brendan-stater-west-samur-rouge-2024","title":"Brendan Stater-West Saumur Rouge 2024","description":"\u003ch3\u003eThe Land\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSaumur's Cabernet Franc grows on the chalky tuffeau limestone soils that define the hill of Brézé and the surrounding communes, producing lighter, more angular reds than the alluvial plains further north in Chinon or Bourgueil. Brendan Stater-West farms a little over half a hectare of Cabernet Franc at a site called La Ripaille on that limestone ground, where thin soils and cool, airy conditions keep the fruit fresh and the alcohol modest. Loire Cabernet Franc at this elevation and on this substrate tends toward iron, wildflowers, and red berry rather than the riper, more extracted styles of warmer climates — which is exactly the point.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e100% Cabernet Franc from the La Ripaille plot, farmed organically. Infusion-style maceration with indigenous yeasts, aged in stainless steel with no oak and no additions beyond minimal sulfur before bottling. The 2024 Loire vintage brought mildew pressure through a wet growing season, but Saumur was among the better-positioned appellations, and careful sorting produced something precise and lively. Fresh cassis, crushed blackberry, violets, and iron-tinged chalk, with fine-grained tannins and a clean, saline finish. Meant to be drunk sooner rather than later, at a temperature closer to 60°F than 65°F.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe People\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrendan Stater-West is an American from Oregon who moved to France in 2007, learned the craft working in Saumur, and trained under Romain Guiberteau before launching his own small estate in 2015. He bottled his first vintage in 2017. The wines are deliberately minimal: organic farming, infusion-style extraction, stainless steel aging, and an emphasis on freshness over power. He still collaborates with Guiberteau today — a detail that speaks to the seriousness of the work. A small producer worth keeping track of.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrilled lamb chops with rosemary, duck rillettes on toast, roasted beets with goat cheese and walnuts, or a good cheeseburger with mustard. Serve cool. This is not a cellar wine — open it while the fruit is alive.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harvest","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50139429175519,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P6170423.jpg?v=1781758257","url":"https:\/\/danverwinemerchant.com\/products\/brendan-stater-west-samur-rouge-2024","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}