Fabien Duveau Saumur La Hunaudiere 2024

Fabien Duveau's domaine has been in his family since the late 18th century and now covers 20 hectares within Saumur-Champigny. He returned to take over winemaking from his father, and he and his wife Emmanuelle now run the estate together. Organic farming and biodiversity are central to his approach. His star is rising fast: John Gilman of View from the Cellar has called him one of the new superstar producers of the central Loire. La Hunaudière is a single-vineyard Chenin Blanc that serves as Duveau's entry-level Saumur Blanc, made from thirty-year-old vines grown in alternating layers of calcareous sand over tuffeau, the Loire's chalky limestone. 

Duveau ferments it with native yeasts, mostly in cement vats with a portion in old oak, followed by six months on lees in neutral barrel, which keeps the focus on purity and minerality. The result is taut and vibrant, with real tension on the palate, carrying lime, apple and tangerine alongside generous fruit and great freshness.