Bobinet

History of Domaine Bobinet

Sébastien Bobinet grew up immersed in the world of the vine and wine, accompanying his grandfather to the cellar from the age of seven. After a detour through an oenological laboratory, a champagnisation company and the world of glassware, he returned to the family estate in his early thirties. In 2002, he took over the 1.8 hectares of vines and the cellar carved into the tuffeau hillside that his maternal grandparents handed over to him upon their retirement. He was then the seventh generation of winemakers from Dampierre-sur-Loire, an associated commune of Saumur. He first had to fight tenaciously to have his natural approach to winemaking accepted, particularly within his own family, but ultimately gained the recognition and respect of his peers.

The encounter with Olivier Cousin, a pioneer of natural wine in Anjou, was decisive: it steered Sébastien towards organic farming and minimal interventionism. In 2007, another defining encounter: Bernard Pontonnier, known as "Ponpon", a Parisian restaurateur and initiator of natural wine in wine retail, opened the doors of carbonic maceration to him, a technique inherited from Jules Chauvet. Together, they created the cuvée Greta Carbo. In 2010, Sébastien expanded the estate by taking on an additional two hectares of Cabernet franc. In 2011, Emeline Calvez, a sommelier and former professional dancer, joined the venture and brought her unique sensibility. Together, they created the cuvées Ruben, Hanami, Piak! and Les Gruches, bringing the estate to worldwide recognition. 

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Bobinet

The vineyard of Domaine Bobinet extends over approximately 5 hectares of Cabernet franc and Chenin blanc, spread across several plots around Dampierre-sur-Loire and Saumur. The terroirs are characteristic of the Saumur-Champigny appellation: a ubiquitous tuffeau limestone subsoil, the region's bedrock, topped by layers of variable soils depending on the plot, ranging from a few centimetres to several metres in depth. These variations explain the diversity of the cuvées: deep, clay-rich soils yield structured and concentrated wines (cuvée Ruben), while more silty-clay soils produce fruitier and more elegant wines. The tuffeau imparts to all the wines a characteristic saline and iodine tension, with gunflint aromas that make them immediately recognisable.

Among the remarkable plots: L'Échalier, which houses the estate's oldest Cabernet franc vines, the source of the eponymous cuvée. La Hardouine, a small plot where the Cabernet franc is particularly prone to millerandage (berries of different sizes on the same bunch), which gives rise to the cuvée Greta Carbo. Les Gruches, a plot of Chenin blanc on tuffeau, the source of a white cuvée built for long ageing. The vineyard is farmed organically, with a horse for soil ploughing, a practice inherited from Olivier Cousin. Harvesting is done by hand, in 20 kg crates, to preserve the integrity of the grapes all the way to the cellar.

Vinifications of Domaine Bobinet

At Domaine Bobinet, winemaking is the art of minimal interventionism: 100% indigenous yeasts, spontaneous fermentations, no chemical inputs — only a few doses of sulphites are tolerated depending on the vintage and the cuvée. The harvested grapes arrive in crates into concrete and fibreglass tanks, and vinification is done plot by plot. For the reds, two types of maceration are practised: classic skin maceration (destemmed grapes immersed in the juice to extract colour and aromas) and carbonic maceration (whole clusters in a CO2 atmosphere, a technique inherited from Jules Chauvet via Bernard Pontonnier, for fruitier and more supple wines). Ageing takes place in old barrels, with the exception of the cuvée Piak! which remains in tank, for durations ranging from 3 months for Piak! to over a year for L'Échalier. A single racking if necessary. The white wine is pressed directly, settled for 48 hours then fermented in tank or barrel depending on the cuvée.

All ageing takes place in the estate's historic cellar, carved into the tuffeau hillside and naturally temperature-regulated. Sébastien tends to be more present in the vineyard, Emeline more in the cellar. This complementarity of personalities and skills is one of the estate's great strengths.

The cuvées of Domaine Bobinet

Piak! (Vin de France): A red cuvée for immediate pleasure and thirst-quenching, made primarily from Grolleau, vinified in tank using a short carbonic maceration and bottled quickly like a primeur wine. A vibrant colour, a nose of fresh and crunchy red fruits, a light and easy-drinking palate, virtually no tannins. The estate's everyday wine, to be enjoyed chilled among friends, with charcuterie or as an aperitif. Direct, rustic in the best sense of the word, and delicious.

Hanami (Saumur-Champigny): A red cuvée born in 2012 from the desire to produce an aromatic and early-drinking wine. Sourced from a blend of different Cabernet franc plots, vinified using a combination of skin maceration and carbonic maceration to preserve freshness and fluidity. A fruity wine with elegant aromas and a smooth, silky texture, ideal as an aperitif, with grilled meats, charcuterie boards or rustic meals. The name evokes Japanese cherry blossoms, a nod to the lightness and ephemeral beauty of the wine in its youth.

Ruben (Saumur-Champigny): The first cuvée created by Sébastien and Emeline together, born from the new plots taken over in 2010. Sourced from three plots on deep, clay-rich soils, Ruben brings together the finest Cabernet franc terroirs. Aged for 7 months in old barrels in the tuffeau cellar. Juicy and fruity Cabernet franc, with velvety tannins and freshness. A chameleon wine that pairs with a wide variety of dishes, from aperitif to meat, including fish. Deep, delicate and full of vitality.

Amateus Bobi (Saumur-Champigny): The estate's historic and signature cuvée, the first that Sébastien crafted upon his arrival in 2002. Sourced from the old Cabernet franc plots inherited from his grandparents, aged in barrels in the tuffeau cellar. A red wine of fine balance between structure and minerality, a direct and sincere expression of the Saumur tuffeau terroir. A refined, fresh and saline palate, with a tension characteristic of the local limestone. The reference cuvée, bearing Sébastien's name as an echo of his roots.

Greta Carbo (Saumur-Champigny): A cuvée born of the collaboration between Sébastien and Bernard Pontonnier "Ponpon", sourced from the small Hardouine plot where the Cabernet franc produces berries of different sizes on the same bunch (millerandage). Vinified using pure carbonic maceration, a technique inherited from Jules Chauvet. The resulting wine has a singular and mysterious identity, befitting its name: vegetal, fruity and peppery, with a silky texture and a delicate, magical depth on the palate. Everyone finds their own interpretation in it.

L'Échalier (Saumur-Champigny): The estate's leading red cuvée and the pinnacle of its red range, sourced from the plot of the estate's oldest Cabernet franc vines. Extended ageing of over a year in old oak barrels in the tuffeau cellar. A wine of unique concentration and complexity: a beautiful natural concentration in the berries, a tannic structure that is present yet silky, a deep calcareous minerality and a long, iodine-tinged finish. A great Saumur fine wine for long ageing, a favourite among many wine merchants and lovers of great Cabernet franc. Not to be touched before 3 to 5 years.

Poil de Lièvre (Saumur Blanc): A dry Chenin blanc cuvée, the estate's bistro icon, sourced from Chenin plots on tuffeau. An expressive and complex nose, a fresh and saline palate with the characteristic aromas of Chenin on limestone: gunflint, citrus, white flowers. A characterful dry white, made for the table, with fish, seafood or aged cheeses. Produced in small quantities.

Les Gruches (Saumur Blanc): The estate's flagship white cuvée, sourced from Chenin blanc on tuffeau, aged at length in old barrels. A white wine built for long ageing of remarkable depth and complexity, with aromas of candied citrus, honey, beeswax and stone. A palate that is both ample and taut, with a long and persistent finish. The estate's benchmark white cuvée, for collectors and lovers of great Chenin blanc from the Loire.

Du Rififi à Beaulieu (Vin de France): An experimental and playful cuvée born of Sébastien's desire to explore grape varieties beyond Cabernet franc and Chenin. An atypical blend of Pineau d'Aunis, Gamay and Côt, sourced from grapes purchased or exchanged with neighbouring winemakers. Red or rosé depending on the vintage, expressive, fruity and spicy, carrying the typicity of these three Loire grape varieties in a joyful and free-spirited style. A wine that reflects the curiosity and boldness of the Bobinet duo.