Arnaud Lambert Saumur Breze Rouge Clos du Tue-Loup 2020

Arnaud Lambert Saumur Brézé 'Clos du Tue-Loup' is a remarkably fresh, elegant expression of red Brézé that highlights how brilliantly Cabernet Franc performs on legendary white wine terroirs. Sourced from a tiny, 2-hectare single vineyard planted in 1995, the vines are rooted in a unique combination of sandy silt topsoil sitting directly over a dense foundation of tuffeau limestone. True to his meticulous biodynamic philosophy, Lambert handles the fruit with incredible gentleness—100% de-stemming followed by an infusion-style maceration with indigenous yeasts and absolutely no aggressive pumping over. The wine is aged for a year split between older French oak barrels and raw concrete eggs before a brief tank assembly, resulting in a vibrant red that completely prioritizes purity and place over heavy extraction.

In the glass, it reveals a transparent, medium-ruby hue and opens with a wonderfully expressive, savory bouquet of wild raspberries, sour red cherries, and crushed graphite, laced with signature Cabernet Franc notes of fresh violet petals and cracked black pepper. On the palate, it behaves with gorgeous restraint and precision; a core of juicy, crunchy red fruit is framed by silken, fine-grained tannins and a vibrant, mouth-watering line of limestone acidity.