The Bobinet estate in Saumur: great wines that bear the identity of the winemakers

What does winemaking mean to Sébastien Bobinet ? "I love the connection with nature and working the land, which is something very profound. It's an absolutely wonderful profession: from pruning to winemaking, there's a real creative process involved. " Sébastien Bobinet and Emeline Calvez thrive on the family estate in Saumur, where they produce high-quality wines that reflect their own style, their vision, and their philosophy.

Sébastien Bobinet puts his work philosophy into practice on the family estate

At 32, Sébastien Bobinet returned to the family estate in Saumur: " We are the eighth generation on the estate ," he explains. " I wanted to go back to my roots after spending my entire youth in the euphoria of the harvest and winemaking. " Sébastien wanted to reconnect with the land, nature, and the open spaces. In 2002, he settled on the 3 hectares of vines in Saumur and immediately began the organic conversion of the Bobinet estate . " I embarked on the organic conversion with the idea of ​​avoiding inputs as much as possible, both in the vineyard and in winemaking ," the winemaker confides. " I also experimented with animal traction. We've had to put this project on hold for the time being, but it will resume very soon ." At Domaine Bobinet, the work philosophy goes far beyond simply respecting the land: " We want to produce wines with work that respects the land, of course, but also with social responsibility. We have a philosophy that is not only focused on the land but also on the people who work with us . "

With Emeline, the Bobinet estate is expanding.

When Sébastien met his wife, Émeline Calvez, a sommelier at a wine shop in Paris, Domaine Bobinet experienced a new lease of life: the winemaking couple expanded the estate, which now covers 8 hectares. " We decided to undertake this project together ," says Sébastien, " we wanted to expand the estate while staying true to our philosophy. " For two years, the young winemakers honed their skills across the entire estate. " Today, we divide the work between us. I focus more on the vineyards, while Émeline primarily handles the winemaking ," explains Sébastien.

Our favorite wines from the estate:

Ruben 2017

Amatéüs Bobi 2016

The Bobinet estate: Saumur wines

Sébastien and Émeline cultivate Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc. The youngest vines are around 40 years old, the oldest reaching 80. This is a deliberate choice for the quality of the wines: " The older the vines, the more character and aromatics they bring to the wines because they are more deeply rooted in the terroir and the soil," the winemaker emphasizes. This is all the more important because the terroir is an inexhaustible source of quality for the Saumur vineyards. " We have a limestone subsoil: it's the bedrock of our region. This limestone brings tension to the wines, very saline and iodine-rich characteristics with an aromatic reminiscent of flint, " Sébastien notes. " Above the bedrock, we can have anywhere from 1.5 meters to 40 meters of soil, depending on the plot. Sometimes these soils are very silty, other times they are more clayey." "It is the difference in soil that allows us to obtain very different wines: aromas of ripe, spicy fruit or fresher fruit like white peach ," says the passionate winemaker.

Sébastien Bobinet: " We want to make natural, precise, terroir-driven wines: wines that are a delight ."

Naturally, the winemakers at Domaine Bobinet vinify their wines by plot. The cuvées are then crafted with a logical and consistent approach, as Sébastien explains: " The Ruben cuvée , for example, combines three plots with deep, clay soils. " Certain unique and interesting plots are vinified separately and produce their own distinct cuvée. " For this reason, we offer a wide variety of cuvées from the estate ," exclaims Sébastien. " Above all, we strive to produce wines that reflect who we are. They are unique in the sense that we want wines with an identity... that is our own ."

The winemakers of Domaine Bobinet have plenty of projects in mind.

Sébastien and Emeline are brimming with ideas and projects to develop the Bobinet estate. This year, they started a small wine bar: " We really enjoy this venture ," exclaims Sébastien, " it's been a real success, and we're going to continue to build on this success. " On the vineyard side, convinced by organic farming, the young winemakers are already looking ahead: " Several agronomic theories interest us, such as permaculture and biodynamics. It's extremely interesting! We're currently exploring these applications ," confides the winemaker.

The promises of the 2017 vintage?

"The harvest went wonderfully well. It's a truly magnificent harvest; we have a very nice balance between the ripeness of the grapes and the acidity, which will allow us to have fresh wines. The wines will be powerful but not heavy. We are committed to a vintage with aging potential. It will be very beautiful, that's for sure. "

Manon Mouly (for Les Grappes)