Laurent Saillard—Brooklyn's Own Loire Winemaker

Get your paws on some Le Pause!

If it feels like Loire winemaker Laurent Saillard knows the pulse of Brooklyn's natural wine scene better than anyone else, there's a reason. A few short decades ago Laurent was front-of-house at Balthazar on the same team as Frenchette's Jorge Riera and Arnaud Erhart. In 2004, Laurent and his ex-wife Catherine May opened iCi (now Maison May) not far from us on Vanderbilt and DeKalb Avenue in Fort Greene, which was arguably the second restaurant in NYC to prominently feature natural wines (Erhart's 360 in Red Hook was the first).

After eight or nine years at iCi, however, Laurent left Fort Greene to make natural wines in the Loire, working for Noëlla Morantin and the esteemed Didier Barrouillet at Clos Roche Blanche. When Didier retired, Laurent was given nearly half of the Clos Roche vineyards with the promise that he would farm his six hectares of vines using the same Biodynamic methods as Clos Roche Blanche.

For the past few vintages Laurent has been selling his wines more or less without a distributor—unless you count his son, Theo, who lives nearby and was working at another wine shop. Because of Laurent's strong New York connections and close ties to restaurants like Frenchette, selling wine this way was possible. However, his next drop will come through more typical importer/distribution channels at much higher prices.

This is the final drop that will come through as basically wholesale pricing. Grab some now at pre-arrival pricing: everything is $21. As a reference, the last time La Pause was here it was $28, back in 2019. The wines are set to show up later this month. Get your paws on some while they last!

Cheers,

Jonathan

BUY SAILLARD PRE-ARRIVAL

Notes below are courtesy of Theo Saillard

Laurent Saillard Sauvignon Blanc du Loir et Cher 2022 [ARRIVES LATE SEPTEMBER 2023] $21.00 100% Sauvignon Blanc sourced from a neighbor that is in organic conversion. Direct press and 6 months in stainless steel. 13,5% ABV. A dry crispy white but round and smooth at the same time. Buy Now Laurent Saillard 'Un Été Partagé' 2022 [ARRIVES LATE SEPTEMBER 2023] $21.00 70% Grolleau / 30% Gamay. Grapes sourced from Julien Moreau's organic vineyard. Ten days macération and 6 months in fiberglass. 10,5 % ABV. A typical light and fruity red with a nice texture. Buy Now Laurent Saillard 'Ça Se Discute' 2022 [ARRIVES LATE SEPTEMBER 2023] $21.00 50% Pineau D’aunis, 50% Pineau D’aunis teinturier. Grapes sourced from Julien Moreau's organic vineyard. Ten days macération and 6 months in fiberglass. 10% ABV. A bright color with ruby hints, the pink peppercorn notes complete this supple fruity red. Buy Now Laurent Saillard 'La Pause' 2022 [ARRIVES LATE SEPTEMBER 2023] $21.00 100% Gamay from Laurent’s vineyard. Two weeks macération and 8 months élevage in wooden tronconique and 500L barrels. 12,5% ABV. The Clos Roche Blanche terroir speaks! A more serious red, medium body with aromas of berries and spices. Buy Now