Sébastien Bobinet came of age under the great pioneers of the Loire Valley natural wine movement, working alongside Olivier Cousin and counting the late Charly Foucault of Clos Rougeard as a close friend and mentor. In 2010, Sébastien encounted his partner, Eméline Calvez, a professional dancer-turned-caviste, and Domaine Bobinet was born. The following year, the couple produced their first wines together, a handful of “traditional” Cabernet Francs from a small 2-hecatre parcel of vines outside of Saumur, inherited from Sébastien’s grandfather.

Over the years, the Domaine’s holdings have grown to around 4 hectares, planted entirely to Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc. In general, Sebastien is more often in the vines and Emeline in the cave. Sebastien farms organically with the help of a horse-drawn plow, a skill he picked up with Olivier Cousin. In a climate susceptible to mildiou, he applies a small amount of copper spray if it’s absolutely necessary but otherwise limits his treatments to plant infusions.

Emeline’s cellar consists of an undulating tuffeau cave deep benath the towering limestone banks of the Loire – among the most beautiful we have seen in France! In a given year, the Domaine produces about ten cuvees: the populist Piak!, a rustic and gluggy Grolleau; Hanamim and Ruben, juicy young vines Cabernet Francs; Poil de Lievre, an iconic, bistro-bound Chenin; Les Gruches, a profound and elegant chenin laid down to long élevage in barrel; and finally, the domaine’s most historic wines, Amateus Bobi, Echalier, and Greta Carbo, three Cabernet Francs of assorted vinification and aging. In virtually all cases, the wines are produced entirely without filtration or sulfites.