Sylvain Dittiere LES CORBIERS Rouge 2023

SYLVAIN DITTIÈRE LES CORBIERS ROUGE 2023

Sylvain Dittière, along with Pauline Foucault, is at the helm of La Porte Saint Jean, one of the small estates that has generated the most interest in the Saumur region in recent years. Dittière settled in Montreuil-Bellay in 2010, after training with renowned winemakers such as Thierry Germain, Gérard Gauby, and the team at Clos Rougeard. Since then, he has developed a small estate focused primarily on Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, with a highly personal interpretation of the area's chalky terroirs.

Philosophy

Dittière's work is based on respectful viticulture and minimal intervention in the winery. The estate cultivates its vineyards according to organic farming principles and uses indigenous yeasts, seeking to let the soil, the grape variety, and the location define the wine's character.

In their red wines, their aim is not to produce overly extracted or muscular wines, but rather to preserve the freshness, purity of the fruit, and the fine texture of the Cabernet Franc. Long aging periods are part of this philosophy: time replaces excessive intervention and allows the wine to gain depth and complexity.

Winemaking, Vintage, Vineyard, and Variety

Les Corbiers 2023 is a 100% Cabernet Franc wine from the first plot that Sylvain Dittière acquired. It is a vineyard approximately sixty years old, planted on Jurassic-era soil composed of sands and clays with a significant presence of hard limestone and flint. It is precisely this subsoil that gives the wine its particular combination of structure, freshness, and mineral character.

The plot was formerly known as Les Cormiers. From the 2023 vintage onwards, the cuvée is now called Les Corbiers and is presented as a Vin de France, although the vineyard's origin and the wine's identity remain essentially unchanged.

The harvest is done by hand, and vinification is carried out using indigenous yeasts. Sources consulted agree that fermentation takes place in concrete tanks, followed by gravity transfer to barrels for an extended aging period of approximately 24 months. There is some discrepancy among sources regarding the percentage of new oak, so I prefer not to consider that figure definitive.

The warm and ripe 2023 vintage yielded a Cabernet Franc of great natural concentration. However, the calcareous and stony nature of the vineyard maintains a significant sense of freshness, preventing the ripeness from becoming heavy. The result is a wine with a pronounced structure, depth, and a clear aging potential.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Deep and brilliant ruby ​​red.

Nose: Intense and complex, with black fruit—cassis and blackberry—alongside violets, spices, cedar, and suggestive notes of graphite and stone. Smoky nuances and a very recognizable mineral character also appear.

Palate: Broad, dense, and structured, yet supported by a fresh acidity. The black fruit is ripe and concentrated, accompanied by firm but fine tannins. The chalky character and flint contribute tension and a marked mineral dimension. The finish is long, deep, and persistent, with hints of blackberry, licorice, and graphite.

This is a more serious and structured Cabernet Franc than Les Bouches, but it maintains the elegance and freshness that characterize Sylvain Dittière's wines.

Pairing

Due to its structure and depth, Les Corbiers 2023 calls for dishes of some intensity. It's a magnificent companion to red meats, roast or confit lamb, pork, and slow-cooked poultry, especially when accompanied by dark sauces, concentrated juices, or aromatic herbs. It also works particularly well with game dishes like braised wild boar and with mushroom preparations, where its earthy and mineral notes find a superb counterpoint. For those who enjoy regional pairings, a good aged goat cheese from the Loire Valley can also be an excellent match.

Les Corbiers 2023 represents Sylvain Dittière's most structured and profound expression of Cabernet Franc. The old vines, limestone, and flint contribute highly concentrated material, while the winemaking philosophy maintains freshness and elegance. It's a wine that will benefit from a few years of bottle aging—some references place its peak between 2028 and 2039—but can already be enjoyed with good aeration. A great single-vineyard red from Saumurois, where depth and finesse coexist with an extraordinary mineral identity.