Domaine des Sanzay (Varrains) AOC Saumurs-Champigny, AOC Saumur

DIDIER & CELINE SANZAY

Just outside the town of Saumur, in the commune of Varrains, you could pass but Domaine des Sanzay a hundred times and never know what lay beyond the nondescript walls. Google maps was telling us we were in the right place, but it was hard to believe until we stepped through the gate into a wide open courtyard, and were greeted by the diminutive and affable Céline Sanzay with a confident “Bonjour Messieurs!”

Yes, she assured us, we were in the right place.

Behind these wall, Didier Sanzay, who hails from 5 generations of Saumur winemakers, along with his wife Céline, craft some of the finest examples of Saumur I’ve come across. From the their vineyard holdings, a modest 28 hectares, they have delineated an astonishing 60 unique parcels - the kind of detail you typically don’t see outside of Burgundy. And while it turns out we were just down the road from some of the best known addresses in Saumur, including the famous Clos Rougeard and Roches Neuve, Didier prefers to keep their place more modest and hidden, focusing instead on the vineyards.