Bobinet

History of Domaine Bobinet

Sébastien Bobinet grew up surrounded by vines and wine, accompanying his grandfather to the cellar from the age of seven. After a detour through an oenological laboratory, a sparkling wine production 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 winegrowers in 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 earned the recognition and respect of his peers.

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

Terroirs and Vines 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 limestone subsoil of tuffeau, the bedrock of the region, topped by layers of soils of varying depth depending on the plot, from a few centimetres to several metres. These variations account for the diversity of the cuvées: deep, clay-rich soils yield structured and concentrated wines (cuvée Ruben), while siltier, clay-loam soils produce fruitier and more elegant wines. The tuffeau imparts to all the wines a characteristic saline and iodine tension, with aromas of gunflint that make them immediately recognisable.

Among the remarkable plots: L'Échalier, which is home to the oldest Cabernet franc vines on the estate, 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 managed using organic farming, with a horse for ploughing the soils, 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.

Winemaking at Domaine Bobinet

At Domaine Bobinet, winemaking is the art of minimal intervention: 100% indigenous yeasts, spontaneous fermentations, no chemical additives — only small doses of sulphites are tolerated depending on the vintage and the cuvée. The harvested grapes arrive in crates and go into concrete and fibreglass tanks, with vinification carried out plot by plot. For the reds, two types of maceration are used: classic skin maceration (destemmed grapes submerged in the juice to extract colour and aromas) and carbonic maceration (whole bunches 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 more than a year for L'Échalier. A single racking if necessary. The white wine is pressed directly, settled for 48 hours and then fermented in tank or barrel depending on the cuvée.

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

The cuvées of Domaine Bobinet

Piak! (Vin de France): A red cuvée for immediate pleasure and easy drinking, sourced mainly from Grolleau, vinified in tank by short carbonic maceration and bottled quickly as a primeur-style wine. A vibrant colour, a nose of fresh and crunchy red fruits, a light and digestible palate, virtually no tannins. The domaine'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. Derived from a blend of different Cabernet franc plots, vinified through 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 dishes, 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 7 months in old barrels in the tuffeau cellar. A juicy and fruity Cabernet franc, with velvety tannins and freshness. A chameleon wine that pairs with a wide variety of dishes, from aperitif to meats, as well as fish. Deep, delicate and full of vitality.

Amateus Bobi (Saumur-Champigny): The historic and signature cuvée of the domaine, the first that Sébastien crafted upon his establishment in 2002. Derived 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 fine, fresh and saline palate, with a tension characteristic of the local limestone. The reference cuvée, the one that bears Sébastien's name as an echo of his roots.

Greta Carbo (Saumur-Champigny): A cuvée born from the collaboration between Sébastien and Bernard Pontonnier "Ponpon", from the small Hardouine plot whose 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, much like 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 flagship red cuvée and pinnacle of the domaine's red range, sourced from the plot of the oldest Cabernet franc vines on the estate. A long ageing of more than 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 fine wine of Saumur built for long ageing, a favourite of many wine merchants and lovers of great Cabernet francs. Not to be opened before 3 to 5 years.

Poil de Lièvre (Saumur Blanc): A dry Chenin blanc cuvée, the domaine's bistro icon, sourced from the 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, to accompany fish, seafood or aged cheeses. Produced in small quantities.

Les Gruches (Saumur Blanc): The domaine's great 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 broad and taut, with a long and persistent finish. The domaine's reference white cuvée, for collectors and lovers of great Loire Chenins.

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