Laurent Saillard

Laurent Saillard rediscovered himself as a winemaker after years of working in New York, managing Balthazar and starting one of the first natural wine bars in Brooklyn.

After moving back to France, Laurent spent several years working under Noella Morantin and Didier Barrouillet of Clos Roche Blanche.

He gradually developed his own footprint in winemaking and started making wines on his own with his first vintage in 2012.

Having managed to buy part of the historic Clos Roche Blanche, Laurent now tends organically to several small plots of Sauvignon Blanc, Gamay and Pineau d’Aunis. He considers himself lucky to have been able to find vines with such maturity and relative rarity, as Pineau d’Aunis is not that easy to come by in these parts of the Loire.

Laurent’s wines reflect his passion and hands-on approach to winemaking. His meticulous habits from his restaurant days and his advocacy of farm-to-table are apparent both in the vineyard and in his cellar, Patience and quality are of the highest priority - with everything done by hand whilst his vines see no sprays but instead obsessive observation and constant care. Only indigenous yeast is used and neutral ageing is achieved in either fiberglass vats or old oak. The wines see no additions bar minuscule quantities of sulphur right before bottling.

What we love most is how his journey came full circle⎯from serving great wines to crafting great wines himself. His vibrant and accessible wines showcase his eye for detail and capture the essence of Loire.