For 13 years, Sylvain Dittière has honed his craft, working with prime plots of Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc. His enology education, coupled with diverse internships under the likes of Gérard Gauby (Domaine Gauby, Roussillon), Marc Tempé (Domaine Marc Tempé, Alsace), Thierry Germain (Domaine Thierry Germain, Loire) and Antoine Foucault (Domaine du Collier, Loire), has paved the way for his success. In 2011, Dittière discovered a 3-hectare parcel of land in Saumur-Champigny known as Les Beaugrands and now possesses a total of 6.5 hectares.

Located just outside Montreuil-Bellay village, on limestone from the Jurassic period laid with pure chalk and a mix of clay and sand as the topsoil, 'Les Pouches' is a parcel of prime real estate for grape growing. The wine is bright with silky tannin and the overall mouthfeel layered and complex. The warmer vintage allowed the grapes to mature into a juicy but never jammy wine. Like the other cuvées from La Porte Saint Jean, this one would benefit from some time resting in bottle or a few hours in the decanter. 

Grape: Cabernet Franc from a 70-year-old parcel 

Soil: limestone from the Jurassic period and silex, clay and sand mix

Viticulture: Organic