2021 Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny La Marginale, Loire Valley

La Marginale is raised in a 25-hectolitre foudre that had to be erected in the Roches Neuves cellars by Franz Stockinger himself. It rests for 12 months before finishing in three-year-old Burgundy barrels. Since 2013, Germain has employed shorter macerations, which today are limited to one or two punch-downs to let the wine infuse. The resulting wines have been even more balanced, with the kind of finesse and precision of fruit rarely found outside Burgundy.

With excellent tension between the mouth-watering fruit, acidity and satin tannins, Germain’s 2021 is the most elegant young Marginale we can remember. Beautifully perfumed, the wine comes into its own even more on the palate, which flows like silk, marked by a gorgeous powdery texture that dances across the tongue. The finish is Burgundy-like in detail. Not too long ago, the late Josh Raynolds wrote that many of Germain’s Saumur-Champignys “taste more like Burgundy than a lot of Pinot Noirs on the market”. In this case, you can go straight to the Côte de Nuits and collect $200 as you pass Go!