November 28, 2025
The next Clos Rougeard - act before the world find out
We’ve all wished we’d secured allocations from top domaines like Ramonet, Leflaive, DRC—or Clos Rougeard—before the scores soared and the prices followed. Today, we have that rare opportunity to get in before the crowd. Sylvain Dittière of La Porte Saint Jean is being tipped as the next Clos Rougeard, and his wines are still under the radar. Critically praised and beautifully priced, this is your chance to get in early on something truly special.
“Sylvain doesn't need any support anyway; his wines are very much sought after and don't need any scores or maybe not even comments as long as they sell that quickly” - Wine Advocate, Stephan Reinhardt
Few young winemakers in France have made waves quite like Sylvain Dittière. At just 23, he launched La Porte Saint Jean in the heart of Saumur, drawing on formative stints with greats like Thierry Germain, Clos Rougeard, and Domaine Gauby. From a modest cellar in Montreuil-Bellay, Sylvain crafts some of the Loire’s most thrilling, age-worthy wines—refined, precise, and unmistakably terroir-driven. His dedication to organic farming and low-intervention winemaking has garnered a cult following for good reason.
Working with limestone-rich vineyards in Saumur and Saumur-Champigny, Sylvain produces focused, elegant wines that shimmer with minerality and energy. His Cabernet Franc is savoury, structured, and pure, while his rare white cuvées—from Chenin planted on tuffeau soils—rival top-flight Burgundy in texture and longevity. Everything is done by hand, from harvesting to bottling, with a philosophy rooted in patience and precision. Long élevage in used barrels and a refusal to rush the process result in wines of remarkable detail and tension—an uncompromising vision that’s redefining the Loire’s potential.
We’re pleased to offer allocations of several wines from La Porte Saint Jean:
Saumur-Champigny 2022
Saumur-Champigny Les Cormiers 2022
Saumur Les Pouches Rouge 2020
La Perlée Blanc 2022
Les Pouches Blanc 2022
Quantities are limited, demand is rising, and once the world catches on—as it did with Clos Rougeard—these wines won’t stay at these prices. Whether you're buying to drink, cellar, or simply to be part of the story from the start, this is your moment. Secure your bottles of La Porte Saint Jean while you still can.
What the wine critics say:
“Nowadays, there are certainly a few contenders to the Cabernet Franc throne… like Antoine Sanzay, who shares a link to the Foucault family and cultivates a bigger part of the Poyeaux site. Domaine de Collier of course, Guiberteau as well. But for me, and also for Loire aficionado Jim Budd, the estate most in the spiritual mould of the old Clos Rougeard estate, is La Porte St Jean, run by Sylvain Dittiere, the son in law of Charlie and Francoise Foucault” - Greg Sherwood MW
“Sylvain doesn't need any support anyway; his wines are very much sought after and don't need any scores or maybe not even comments as long as they sell that quickly. Surely his wines will not have become less interesting 10 years after Sylvain started the domaine in Montreuil-Bellay after he had studied agriculture and learned winemaking at some of my favorite domaines in France, i.e. Gérard Gauby and Cyril Fahl in the Roussillon and Marc Tempé in Alsace and in Saumur at Thierry Germain and Clos de Rougeard. Charly Foucault's son Antoine from Domaine du Collier is a big guy—not only when it comes to wine but also to whisky and life in general. Of the 8.5 hectares, the eminent part is dedicated to Cabernet Franc, but Sylvain also produces Chenin Blanc and even Sauvignon Blanc (which I haven't tasted yet). Sylvain's wines age in oak for a pretty long time since he is happy to have a perfect subterranean cellar where the temperature is constantly between 12 and 14 degrees Celsius. The Chenin Blanc is aged for 30 months on the lees and is not racked except for bottling” - Wine Advocate, Stephan Reinhardt
View all wines from La Porte Saint Jean (Sylvain Dittiere)
Red’s
Saumur-Champigny Les Cormiers 2022
€49.50* inc VAT per bottle
Crafted from 60‑year-old vines rooted in Jurassic limestone, this flagship sees six-week open-top ferment and 26 months in new oak. Expect concentrated blackcurrant, pepper, and game aromas, with a silky, structured palate and precise tannins—grand cru-like Cabernet Franc at its finest.
Saumur Les Pouches Rouge 2020
€36.50* inc VAT per bottle
From clay-limestone vineyards in Montreuil‑Bellay, this Cabernet Franc sees long fermentation in wooden vats and 24 months in 50% new oak. Layered with dark berry, smoky spice, and savory graphite, it delivers structured elegance, fine tannins, and clear sense of place—classic Saumur rouge.
Saumur-Champigny 2022
€32.95* inc VAT per bottle
From 30- to 40-year-old vines on limestone-rich soils, this Saumur-Champigny is delicate yet concentrated, offering ripe cherry, tobacco, and spice on the nose. Fermented in concrete with no remontage or pigéage, then aged 18 months in seasoned Bordeaux barrels, it delivers silky texture, fine tannins, and a long, saline finish of great finesse.
Whites
La Perlee Blanc 2022
€40.50* inc VAT per bottle
La Perlée is crafted from 60–80-year-old Chenin vines rooted in clay-limestone soils on the Saumur-Anjou border. Fermented and aged on lees for 30 months without racking, it offers aromas of lemon oil, crushed stones and wet chalk. The palate is rich yet weightless—textured, saline, and lifted by fine tannins and electric citrus tension.
*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.