The 2019 Thierry Germain Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur Clos Romans Blanc is a noteworthy Chenin Blanc from the Saumur Blanc appellation in the Loire Valley, France. Produced by Thierry Germain, this wine is crafted from grapes cultivated in Souzay-Champigny on a unique clay-limestone terroir. The vineyard features a thin 30-centimeter layer of clayey sand atop Seonian limestone.
The wine has received high praise from professional reviewers, with Robert Parker's Wine Advocate awarding it a 94 score. The reviewer noted the wine's "straw yellow color and a deep yet subtle and complex bouquet of white fruits intertwined with the flinty limestone aromas." The wine is described as "pure, fresh and juicy, with great finesse and mineral tension," and is highlighted for its "refined and highly elegant" character. The review concludes that this Chenin Blanc is "an impressive wine and one of the finest dry Chenins I have had from the Loire this year" (Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 10/14/2021).
Winedoctor also provided an excellent review, scoring the wine at 96. The review describes the wine as having "a pale golden color in the glass" with an "intense nose" that features "fresh with lemon and herby acidity, crushed flint minerals, slate and fragrant white flowers, with subtle touches of rose petal, verbena and white pepper." The palate is characterized by a "beautifully tense start," with "juicy fruit, sweet plum and yellow cherry," balanced by "fresh and bitter phenolics and its tense acidity." The reviewer notes that the wine has a "raw bite of grapefruit, a saline liquid-stone minerality, and a taut, gripped finish," emphasizing its "simply stunning potential." The review suggests aging the wine for ten to twenty years, adding that it should "cope with ease" and describes it as "brilliant" (Winedoctor, 12/1/2023).
Overall, the 2019 Thierry Germain Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur Clos Romans Blanc is highly regarded for its complexity, elegance, and potential for aging, making it a standout example of white Saumur.