Laurent Saillard—Brooklyn's Own Loire Winemaker
From Fort Greene to Pouillé
New vintage just landed!
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. Because of Laurent's strong New York connections and close ties to restaurants like Frenchette, selling wine this way was possible.
Though last year we were told this was the last time it would be sold through direct channels, Laurent has opted to continue with this approach: lucky you!
These just landed and will be available for pickup tomorrow, Friday, May 24th. Deliveries will start going out Saturday. Through Memorial Day we're offering essentially pre-arrival pricing at 20% off, using the code SAILLARD20.
Get your paws on some while they last!
Cheers,
Jonathan
jonathan@vwm.wine
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| Laurent Saillard Sauvignon Blanc du Loir et Cher 2023 |
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| 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. |
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| Laurent Saillard 'Lucky You' 2023 |
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| 70% Sauvignon / 30% Chardonnay from Laurent's vines; whole cluster pressed into stainless steel, unfined & unfiltered. A crisp, mineral white with just a little extra plumpness and stone fruit. |
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| Laurent Saillard 'Un Été Partagé' 2023 |
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| 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. |
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| Laurent Saillard 'Ça Se Discute' 2023 |
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| 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. |
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| Laurent Saillard 'En Famille' 2023 |
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| 70% Côt / 30% Pinot Noir. One week macération, half whole cluster, half destemmed in a lasagna (milles feuilles) style. Aged one year in sandstone amphora and 500L old oak barrels (50/50). Zero sulfur added. |
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| Laurent Saillard 'La Pause' 2023 |
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| 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. |
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