Brézé is a heralded name for lovers of Chenin Blanc. It was also the name of a Chateau, the Chateau de Brézé. It’s a Chateau steeped in history, dating back to 1060, and now containing life-size depictions of medieval life that are of much interest to art historians and anthropologists.

It’s the Chateau’s more recent history that is of interest to us. It possessed a number of walled vineyards in the vicinity that were, at one time, considered the finest sources of white wine in all of France, rivaled only by Montrachet. Far more recently, we get to the near-present time when Chardonnay eclipsed Chenin Blanc in popularity and these sites fell somehow out of favor.

Except, of course, that we are in Saumur, where Clos Rougeard has kicked off a wine revolution. Today, Saumur is one of the most exciting wine regions on earth, with a keen focus on natural farming, hands-off wine-making, and extreme dedication to the local fine terroir.

Arnaud Lambert was an early participant in this revolution. Early this century, he began to lease the many holdings of Chateau de Brézé. He did all the things that wine revolutionaries do, like converting the vineyards to organics and raising the game in the cellar to match that of a top white Burgundy producer. In 2017, he absorbed these holdings into the Domaine Arnaud Lambert.

The wines he releases, frankly, are exciting. Every time we taste them, we feel like we’ve encountered something new. We love the energy. We love the nuanced aromas and fruit profiles emanating from the different vineyards. We love how he manages to capture fullness and ripeness without subtracting from Chenin Blanc or Cabernet Franc’s naturally nervy sides.

We are thrilled to offer these new releases today:

Arnaud Lambert Saumur Champigny Terres Rouge 2022 - $27.99

Arnaud Lambert Saumur Blanc Midi 2022 - $28.99