Thibaud Boudignon

“Thibaud Boudignon works some of the most exciting vineyards in the entire appellation, and is one of its most convincing young vignerons, producing a thrilling range of wines.“ thewinedoctor.com (THE best web-site for Loire Valley information on the best producers and wines)

“Thibaud Boudignon is a recent entrant to Savennières, having started his project in 2009 and not leaving his role at Domaine de la Soucheraie until 2015. The purity of the wines of this former judo champion, Thibaud Boudignon, is impeccable. His three Savennières - La Vigne Cendrée, Clos de Fremine and Clos de la Hutte - are within spitting distance of each other. Still, each has its own personality: Clos de la Fremine, whose sandy topsoil is delicate and open, whereas Clos de la Hutte, planted on schist, tends to be fuller and more brooding. The theme throughout the range is transparency and harnessed power of the wines, which marks a contrast to bigger, bolder Savennières styles produced elsewhere. In 2021, Boudignon planted a 2.5ha site less than a minute's walk from the other parcels: Devant Le Jeu. There's a small, modern winery at the site, a few minutes drive to the south of Savennières, completed in 2016. You'll find tanks and a range of barrels in various shapes and sizes, yet oak is used not to bring flavor but texture. Boudignon has an unusual albeit practical approach in the cellar: conducting the harvest in the vineyard and holding the juice at 3˚C until all the parcels are picked so that all the work in the vineyard is done and he can concentrate solely on making the wines.

There’s no malo here – it’s cheating, according to Boudignon. While that created some steely results in 2021, the lower acidities of the hot 2022 vintage meant that this no malo approach helped to retain freshness. There’s also been a small change to the aging of the Clos de Fremine: he has moved to thicker staves to reduce oxidation and preserve fruit. Boudignon may only be a young domaine, but the clarity of the wines from young vines has made the world sit up and take note. The 2022s are gentler in their acid profile than the 2021s, but the wines are delicately textured with delectable purity.“ Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous Media, July 2024

Thibaud Boudignon approaches each vintage with spectacular precision and dedication. Achieving good ripeness despite some difficult vintages in recent years and producing excellent wines, he offers wines of purity, tension and finesse with virtually no rivals in Savennières. Their depth and density reveal the fantastic terroirs of Clos de Frémine and Clos de la Hutte, located in La Possonière, a historic part of the appellation that has unfortunately seen some urban encroachment. Boudignon patiently waits for full grape maturity before harvesting and practices gentle, slow pressing during vinification. He ages all his wine in barrels or foudres from notable cooperages, such as Chassin, Gauthier Frères, Taransaud, Atelier Centre France and Rousseau. Robert Parkers The Wine Advocate, January 2024

Thibaud Boudignon is one of the new young stars of the Loire Valley based in Savennieres. He also owns two small vineyards across the river on the south side of the Loire in the Anjou. Having worked with some of the great estates of Burgundy, Bordeaux, Loire and also in Australia, Thibaud has built a wealth of experience without having been born into a wine producing family. In 2008 he decided to establish his own estate in Savennieres beginning with 3.5 ha of old vines planted on exceptional terroirs in Anjou and Savennieres.

Now with a total of 7.5 hectares of vines he has gradually bought and planted several prime parcels in the small Savennieres appellation including a 0.5ha parcel called La Vigne Cendrée (planted with massale selection vines in 2015) which borders Baumard's Clos St Yves vineyard (not far from the famous La Roche-aux-Moines vineyard). He has also planted another vineyard, Le Clos de Fremine, just south of Savennieres near the village of La Possonnière with sandy soil and across the road is his main vineyard Clos de la Hutte beside which he has built a remarkable small and modern winery which has its temperature and humidity regulated by a thermal energy system which is buried below the ground around the winery.

In 2020 he started to plant the vineyard called Clos Devant le Jeu just down the tiny lane from Le Clos de Fremine. The soil in Clos Devant le Jeu shows a lot of grey schist with a darker profile compared to the finer sandier soil of Clos de Fremine. The remaining half of this vineyard was planted in 2023 making 2 ha in this vineyard. All vines are planted from a variety of massale selection coming from some of the best estates of the Loire giving very small berries and yields.

Clos de la Hutte was historically regarded among the best sites of the appellation and had been an old religious site. Thibaud is aiming to bring this historically highly regarded site back to prominence so that it might sit alongside Roche aux Moines and Coulee de Serrant as one of the future Grand cru vineyards in Savennieres in years to come. Within the the Clos de la Hutte vineyard he has close-planted un-grafted franc de pied vines on the highest sandiest part of that vineyard from which he will soon release another wine. Given the small size of the winery it is clear that he intends to concentrate on small quantities so these wines will always remain very confidential in quantity. The small winery itself is remarkable as he is able to precisely control temperature and humidity by thermal regulation from a vast system buried in the ground surrounding the winery enabling optimum temperature and humidity all throughout the year.

Working biodynamically in the vineyards, during the growing season he employs one person per hectare to manage the vines. In the winery the grapes are whole bunch pressed with no settling and the juice kept cold before starting a long slow fermentation. He vinifies with natural yeasts and ages the wines on lees with minimal SO2 in a mixture of barrels ranging from 300-600 litres. There are hogsheads, cigares, puncheons and small 600 litre foudres from the highly regarded Austrian cooper, Stockinger. Ultimately though, new oak influence is not a part of the style sought, resulting in wines of striking purity, depth and intensity, with each wine clearly reflecting its particular terroir. These are really profound wines with terrific freshness and structure that have the capacity to age well for many years.

All the white wines are 100% Chenin Blanc. Availability is very limited and the wines tend to sell out quickly each year. These are simply some of the most remarkable wines we represent.

WINE NOTES AND REVIEWS

2023 Rosé de Loire
Substantially Cabernet Franc (80%), with some Grolleau (20%), from 25+ year-old vines, grown on shallow soils of grey schist, rhyolite and sand. Cool-fermented in stainless steel with native yeasts for 2-3 weeks, followed by maturation in tank for 4 to 6 months before bottling. Malolactic conversion is inhibited to produce a fresh, vibrant, yet textural rosé, with good length and intriguing mineral complexity. Vibrant pink colour, this rose is made by direct pressing and vinified like a white wine to capture salinity and structure. No malo, yet lovely texture and tension, finishing dry.

2022 review ‘The 2022 Rosé de Loire displays a smokey mix of crushed apples and wet stones. Sour citrus and tart orchard fruits nicely contrast a pleasant inner sweetness. A mineral staining lingers while the 2022 finishes fresh and with a crunchy sensation.’ Eric Guido, Vinous, May 2023.

2022 Anjou Blanc
From 40 year-old vines, planted at 8000 vines/ha on shallow soils of grey schist and rhyolite. Fermented in stainless steel with native yeasts for 2-3 weeks, followed by maturation in 300L and 750L barrels (30% new) for 15-18 months. Since Thibaud has moved into his new winery just 2 years ago this wine has moved up a few notches in depth and complexity. The oak integration is now perfect to the point of being invisible serving only to add another layer to the tight citric core of fruit. This is pure pleasure from the first taste. To be enjoyed in the first 5 or so years. This wine pushes the boundaries of Anjou in a very positive direction, the resulting wines are crystalline pure.

‘The 2022 Anjou Blanc from Thibaud Boudignon reveals a perfumed, exotic bouquet with aromas of green mango, pineapple, pear and spices intertwined with a touch of toast. More depth and fleshier than the 2021, it’s medium-bodied, perfectly balanced with a seamless, layered texture and a delicately bitter finish. 30,000 bottles produced. Drink 2023-2030.’
93 points, Yohan Castaing, The Wine Advocate, January 2024.

The 2022 Anjou Blanc is very restrained, with a delicate perfume of chamomile, spearmint and nectarine. There's a round richness to the wine's mid-palate, but it feels oh-so quiet. It's not showy but restrained, elegant and fine-boned, which is quite the feat in this dry, warm year. Despite no malolactic, the acidity is relatively low analysis-wise, but you don't feel it; it remains finely poised. 92 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, May 2024.

2022 Savennières Le Clos de Frémine
This site adjoins Clos de la Hutte separated only by stone walls surrounding each Clos and a tiny road between them. Planted to 1.5 ha of vines from a massale selection, the original material comes from vines of more than 100 years old. Sloping towards the Loire, a fine cover of sand has been blown over the underlying schist for many millennia, conveying a silky elegance to the resulting wine. As such it generally shows more immediacy than Clos de la Hutte and can be approached a little earlier. Distinctive, pure and utterly compelling.

The 2022 Savennières Clos de Fremine has purity and tranquility; it's a cloud of Chenin Blanc blossoming in the mouth. There were a lot of grapes that didn't make the grade in 2022 due to the hot, dry conditions of the season, but the strict sorting implemented by Boudignon and team appears to have done the trick. The wine is gently fresh, but a salty line provides persistence. An appetizing fragrance of chamomile, honey and nectarine lingers long in the mouth. 94 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, May 2024.

2021 Savennières Clos de la Hutte
Situated in the commune of La Possonnière, the Clos de la Hutte is an ancient religious site of 7 hectares, of which 2.6 are planted with vines. At the heart of this ancient monastery are vines produced from a massal selection of Chenin Blanc coming from the best domaines of the Loire. Five different selections of Chenin were planted together so as to best express the intensity and singularity of this special place.

There is also a small part of this vineyard planted on its own roots, i.e. ungrafted vines, which gives rise to the micro cuvée Franc de Pied, first produced from the 2020 vintage.

Clos de la Hutte is vinified 50 % in oval demi muid, 25 % in 320 litre cigars, and 25 % in 500 litre puncheons. The ageing lasts one year in wood and a minimum of 3 months in stainless steel. Clos de la Hutte is a great terroir with the solid schist mother rock close to the surface.

'Matured with 30% new oak, the 2021 Savennières Clos de la Hutte was made with grapes grown in clay topsoil with schists. It exhales a perfumed, precise bouquet with aromas of pineapple, lemon oil, spring flowers and spices. The full-bodied, seamless and layered, crystalline and pure, concentrated and mineral palate has a delicate core of fruit and a tense, saline finish. This pristine wine represents the essence of this great terroir. Drink 2023-2053.’ 97 points, Yohan Castaing, The Wine Advocate, January 2024.

‘The 2021 Savennières Clos de la Hutte is never the most aromatic, but after a year in bottle, it is starting to reveal a little more of its true self—but only just. It remains a tight cloud of wine that blossoms in the mouth, seamless and round. It possesses excellent texture, substance and richness yet manages it in a not-heavy manner. Nectarine and tangerine fruit flavors linger on the textured finish, which holds the mouth with an assured clasp. This is still not yet ready to drink, but its quality is there to see. It just needs more time to come out from its hiding place; just be a little more patient, if you can.’ 95 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, May 2024.

‘The 2021 Clos de la Hutte is a fabulous, laser-like wine with scintillating acidity. It is airy and calm in texture, providing a sense of tranquility and ease. Expect a fragrant style with florals, nectarine, citrus, pastry and a touch of flint. There's no doubting the acidity piercing this wine, particularly in this vintage. The delightful texture leaves you licking your lips and provides sinew and structure. Drink 2025-2038.’ 95 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, June 2023.

2021 Savennières Franc de Pied (grown on Clos de la Hutte)
Within the Clos de la Hutte is a small parcel of close planted ungrafted vines situated on the highest and sandiest soil of this small vineyard. Produced for the first time on 2020 (one small wine globe), this second vintage is aged half in glass wine globe and half in wooden foudre. Showing excellent purity density and concentration covering the wines immense structure. Extremely long finish, and extremely rare. He expects that the phylloxera louse will eventually attack the root system of these vines. Get this quickly before phylloxera does its worst.

‘The 2021 Franc de Pied is entirely made in wine globes from ungrafted vines within the Clos de la Hutte vineyard. It is harmonious and fine, but there's no mistaking the taut, knife-like serration of reduction that gives definition, direction and drive. It is sinewy and intense, and there's no compromise in its laser-like precision. The finish is a touch salty with a grip of tannin. Drink 2025-2038.’ 96 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, June 2023.

'Vinified 50% in wine globes and 50% in foudres, the 2021 Franc de Pied, crafted from ungrafted vines situated within the Clos de la Butte parcel, reveals a lively, fresh bouquet with aromas of licorice, menthol, spring flowers and lemon oil. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and seamless, it’s incisive and tense with a long, fresh, delicate finish. It is denser and less mineral than the 2021 Clos de la Hutte and has real aging potential. Drink 2023-2043.’ 95 points, Yohan Castaing, The Wine Advocate, January 2024.

‘A cuvée from the microscopic parcel of ungrafted vines within Clos de la Hutte. This was the second vintage Thibaud has vinified in wine globe, and he now feels that he prefers this method. He expanded from just one 2-hectolitre globe in the 2020 vintage to a volume of 4 hectolitres in two globes in this vintage. The aromatics here are delightfully perfumed, with layers of white peach, verbena, mint, smoke and candlewax. There is a sense of purity here and it also comes across on the palate, with its perfumed, poised and polished state, great tension and precision, and wonderful length too. Precise, floral with sweet peach and lightly bitter streaks. Incredible focus and polish here. To be bottled later in 2023. The alcohol is between 11% an 12%.’ 95 points, Chris Kissack, thewinedoctor.com, February 2023

The following wines due 2025 - speak to your Account Manager for an allocation..

2024 Rosé de Loire
2023 Anjou Blanc (grey label)
2022 Anjou Blanc à François(e)…
2023 Savennières Le Clos de Frémine
2022 Savennières La Vigne Cendrée
2022 Savennières Clos de la Hutte
2022 Savennières Franc de Pied (grown on Clos de la Hutte)

2022 Anjou Blanc à François(e)…
Starting with 2021 vintage this cuvee will be aged for two extra years.
From a parcel of 40 year-old vines in St-Lambert-du-Lattay, planted at 8000 vines/ha on shallow soils of grey schist and rhyolite. Native yeast fermented in wood including some 300L cigares, used to build lees complexity. Maturation in these and 700L demi-muids (30% new) for 15–18 months. Named in honour of his mother Françoise, who passed away when Thibaud was 17, and his father François. This is chenin blanc at its most electric, so long and focussed yet detailed and with explosive power. Anjou has come of age with this wine - this is a wine to sit comfortably alongside more famous appellations and producers. If you can find more profound chenin than this be sure to let us know.

‘Made from a small parcel in the village of Saint-Lambert, the 2022 Anjou Blanc à Francois(e) is a mouth-lling style without any heaviness. The generosity of the 2022 season has been curbed, and there's a nervousness and slightly reductive nature that keeps it tight. Expect an attractive sourness from the acidity and salinity. The nish has a nice twist of savory character with 20% new oak (500-liter and cigar format). Time is needed here to ameliorate.’ 93 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, July 2024.

2022 Savennières La Vigne Cendrée - extremely limited
This tiny site of 0.5 ha on soils of clay over purple schist and granite lies high above Chateau de Varennes not far from La Roche aux Moines. Thibaud bought and renovated this plot in 2014. This small vineyard is enclosed by trees on all sides so it is a peaceful space where one hears only the birds. "La Vigne Cendrée", in spite of its small surface is an exceptional mosaic of terroir : purple schist, granite and clay silt. Because of the clay and the southern exposition, this wine is naturally richer. Half is aged in 226 litre burgundy barrels and half in foudre, with no new wood, for 12 months. This wine is very "Burgundian" except that there is no malo resulting in a wine with great drive and length though also good texture and complexity from the ageing on lees. Just 2,000 bottles produced from this unique and tiny vineyard.

‘The 2022 Savennières Les Vignes Cendrées is a powerful, ripe and focused style that buzzes with electric acidity and pulls tightly together with citrus and salinity on the finish. It has a nervy, restrained nose of iodine, brine and green-orange citrus. Smoky notes, tangerine and nectarine fill the mouth with fragrance. This is one for the long haul. It was matured in foudres, but there's no new oak.’ 94 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, July 2024.

These 2 wines due SPRING 2025

2023 Savennières Le Clos de Frémine
This site adjoins Clos de la Hutte separated only by stone walls surrounding each Clos and a tiny road between them. Planted to 1.5 ha of vines from a massale selection, the original material comes from vines of more than 100 years old. Sloping towards the Loire, a fine cover of sand has been blown over the underlying schist for many millennia, conveying a silky elegance to the resulting wine. As such it generally shows more immediacy than Clos de la Hutte and can be approached a little earlier. Distinctive, pure and utterly compelling.

2022 Savennières Clos de la Hutte
‘Although it's ungenerous on the nose, the 2022 Savennières Clos de la Hutte is tender and generous in the mouth, welcoming you in. There's a cloud of gently handled fruit that embraces the palate, but it does so in an elegant and light-on-its-feet way. Texturally, it's seamless and coats the mouth with fine texture. In terms of flavor, expect salty, briny notes and citrus tones alongside a touch of spice and nutty oak on the finish. This is a wine that seems to be able to take a deep, calming breath and become more complete.’ 97 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, May 2024.

2022 Savennières Franc de Pied (grown on Clos de la Hutte)
‘Hailing from ungrafted vines on the Clos de la Hutte vineyard, the 2022 Savennières Franc de Pied blossoms and expands in the mouth. Massive concentration sits within its delicate core. There's a bright line of citrusy acidity that carries this wine from start to finish with a residual saltiness, leaving you licking the inside of your mouth. It is restrained aromatically, focusing quietly on texture, essence and substance.’ 97 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, May 2024.

The following wines still ageing and due for later release.

2021 Anjou Blanc à François(e)…
Starting with 2021 vintage this cuvee will be aged for two extra years.
From a parcel of 40 year-old vines in St-Lambert-du-Lattay, planted at 8000 vines/ha on shallow soils of grey schist and rhyolite. Native yeast fermented in wood including some 300L cigares, used to build lees complexity. Maturation in these and 700L demi-muids (30% new) for 15–18 months. Named in honour of his mother Françoise, who passed away when Thibaud was 17, and his father François. This is chenin blanc at its most electric, so long and focussed yet detailed and with explosive power. Anjou has come of age with this wine - this is a wine to sit comfortably alongside more famous appellations and producers. If you can find more profound chenin than this be sure to let us know.

'Crafted from the Les Gats parcel, which is a pebbly soil with clay and volcanic rock, the 2021 Anjou Blanc à François(e)..., a tribute to his mother and grandfather, offers up a solar, exuberant bouquet with aromas of pineapple, exotic fruits, menthol, sage and ripe orchard fruits. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and concentrated, it’s perfectly balanced with racy acids and a satiny texture that finishes long, saline and penetrating. This cuvée is one of the most singular of Boudignon’s range. Keep it a decade or more Drink 2023-2038.’ 94 points, Yohan Castaing, The Wine Advocate, January 2024.

‘The 2021 Anjou Blanc à François(e) is one year post-bottling and it has blossomed. It’s become curvier, despite retaining its firm line of acidity that pierces its core and provides a salty, almost spicy edge—almost like a serrated knife. Displaying ample purity with a touch of smokiness in the background, there’s a savory edge to the citrus fruit. Linear, mineral and long.’
93 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, May 2024.

2021 Savennières La Vigne Cendrée
Starting with 2021 vintage this cuvee will be aged for two extra years.
This tiny site of 0.5 ha on soils of clay over purple schist and granite lies high above Chateau de Varennes not far from La Roche aux Moines. Thibaud bought and renovated this plot in 2014. This small vineyard is enclosed by trees on all sides so it is a peaceful space where one hears only the birds. "La Vigne Cendrée", in spite of its small surface is an exceptional mosaic of terroir : purple schist, granite and clay silt. Because of the clay and the southern exposition, this wine is naturally richer. Half is aged in 226 litre burgundy barrels and half in foudre, with no new wood, for 12 months. This wine is very "Burgundian" except that there is no malo resulting in a wine with great drive and length though also good texture and complexity from the ageing on lees. Just 2,000 bottles produced from this unique and tiny vineyard.

‘The 2021 Savennières La Vigne Cendrée, the sole parcel from Thibaud Boudignon that is located in the Savennières village, near the Roche aux Moines, offers up an austere, complex bouquet with aromas of yuzu, lemon oil, spring flowers and spices. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and complete, resonant and vibrant, it’s perfectly balanced with a long, penetrating and ethereal finish enhanced by a racy bitterness. This wine, matured only in stainless steel tanks, should see its 20th anniversary in fine form. Drink 2023-2048.’ 96 points, Yohan Castaing, The Wine Advocate, January 2024.

'This cuvée comes from a small collection of parcels in Savennières, not far from Les Petites Coulées, totalling just 0.5 hectares. The soils are rich in clay, and the élevage was in foudre to counter the power this brings. The aromatics are scented with peach skin, orange zest, crushed flint and salty minerals, the style suggesting great density and freshness. The palate is immediately sinewy, with great density, layers of peach skin and orange, cut with brilliant seams of minerally crushed flint, and framed with great acidity. It is floral, with nuances of peach, orange blossom, menthol and white freesia. Brilliantly long and tense in the finish, with a little vein of bitterness highlighted by a mineral grip and firm acidity of the finish. To be bottled in April this year. The alcohol is about 12%.’ (92-94) points, Chris Kissack, thewinedoctor.com, November 2023

SOLD OUT

2020 Savennières Clos de la Hutte - “the 2020 Clos de La Hutte a masterpiece“ thewinedoctor.com, August 2024
Situated in the commune of La Possonnière, the Clos de la Hutte is an ancient religious site of 7 hectares, of which 2.6 are planted with vines. At the heart of this ancient monastery are vines produced from a massal selection of Chenin Blanc coming from the best domaines of the Loire. 5 different varieties of Chenin were planted together so as to best express the intensity and singularity of this special place.

50% vinified in oval demi muid, 25% in 320 liter cigars, and 25% in 500 liter. The ageing lasts one year in wood and a minimum of 3 months in stainless steel. The Clos de la Hutte seduces with its aromatic finesse and the intense minerality in the mouth. A great terroir with the solid schist mother rock close to the surface, it combines the qualities of the other parcels : great aromatic precision and obvious minerality, perfect balance between mineral and richness, nothing austere with a complex nose of gun-flint, the citrus notes, a mouth that is sharp and precise, an aerien and salty finish.

‘The 2020 Clos de la Hutte is a wine that makes your shoulders drop such is its tranquility and sense of comfort in your mouth. It blooms in the mouth and does so without any sense of heaviness. The finish, scented with flowers and nectarines, is long, fragrant and textural. I hate using the word minerality as it means so many different things to people, but in my opinion, this has it in spades. It is incredible that the vines were only planted in 2011 on the schistous site on the grounds of a former monastery. Aged in larger format barrels, there’s no sense of oakiness, allowing the purity of this wine to shine bright. Drink 2023-2042.’ 96 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous Media, June 2022.

'This has seen out at élevage in oak for 18 months, followed by another 8 months in bottle, before they were released for sale. This was, for Thibaud, the first vintage when he was also to focus exclusively on his own winery without thinking about his work at Clos de Soucherie. This is rich in aromatic and waxy peach, with layers of crushed flint minerals, primrose and verbena. The palate is just divine, textured and savoury, infused with lightly bitter peach skin, pear, orange pith, aniseed and fennel, all cut with brilliant mineral and acid veins. Intense yet focused, with balanced minerality. Exceptional quality, depth and focus here. A truly stunning example of Savennières. Fabulous, so long too, with a tingling sense of conviction, eager to please and yet cerebral. It brims with cellar potential. The alcohol on the label is 12.5%.’ 96 points, Chris Kissack, thewinedoctor.com, November 2023.

'Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of wet stone, tree blossoms, lemon pith, and grapefruit. In the mouth, incredibly silky flavors of lemon pith, lemon oil, unripe pear, acacia blossom, and quince have a cistern-like minerality with deep stony depths. Incredible acidity, great length. One of the best mouthfuls of Chenin Blanc I have had in a long time. This wine ages in 30% new oak of various sizes for 18 months before spending another year in the bottle before release. 12.5% alcohol. Score: between 9.5 and 10.’ Vinography, Alder Yarrow, August 2022