Calvez Bobinet Hanami Cabernet Franc 2023

Sébastien Bobinet began learning winemaking at age seven, helping his grandfather tend vines and work in the cellar. After pursuing other careers—including a stint in glassmaking—he returned in 2002 to take over 1.8 hectares of vineyards and a tuffeau cave cellar from his maternal grandparents. The decision to farm organically came immediately, shaped by the influence of Olivier Cousin, a pioneering natural winemaker in nearby Anjou.

Émeline Calvez arrived at the domaine in 2011. A former professional dancer whose career ended due to injury, she retrained as a sommelier and spent a year traveling French wine regions, working harvests and learning winemaking firsthand. Meeting Sébastien changed her trajectory once more; she became his partner in both life and wine production.

Today the couple farms approximately 6.5 hectares across multiple parcels around Saumur, Dampierre, and Souzay. Sébastien manages the vineyards while Émeline handles winemaking in their spectacular cave cellar carved 500 meters into the limestone cliffs at Beaulieu. Their collaboration has established Calvez Bobinet among the most respected natural wine producers in the Loire.

Hanami, meaning "flower viewing" in Japanese, was born in 2012 from the couple's desire to create an early-drinking, aromatic Cabernet Franc. The wine showcases their approach: partial carbonic maceration to emphasize fruit and aromatics, aging in concrete rather than new oak, and bottling without filtration or significant sulfur additions. It represents the accessible, bistro-ready side of their portfolio.

The domaine's range spans easy-drinking cuvées to more structured wines requiring cellar time. Beyond Hanami, they produce Piak! from multiple varieties, Les Gruches (a barrel-aged Chenin Blanc), and several single-parcel Cabernet Francs including Amatéus Bobi and Echalier.

Discover more: Poil de Lièvre Chenin, Piak!, Les Îles Grolleau, Californie. Browse best-selling natural wines.

The Loire Valley traces the course of France's longest river from the Atlantic coast deep into the country's interior. Saumur occupies a central position within this vast wine region, where the Anjou appellation transitions eastward into Touraine. Viticulture here dates to at least the early medieval period, with winemaking traditions shaped by centuries of monastic cultivation and royal patronage.

Tuffeau limestone defines Saumur's landscape. This soft, white stone underlies the vineyards and forms the dramatic cliffs along the river where many producers, including Calvez Bobinet, have carved their cellars. These underground caves maintain constant temperatures around 54°F year-round, providing ideal conditions for natural winemaking without climate control. The same limestone contributes distinctive chalky minerality to wines grown in its soils.

Cabernet Franc thrives throughout Saumur and the neighboring Saumur-Champigny appellation. The grape finds ideal conditions in the region's maritime-influenced continental climate: warm enough summers to achieve ripeness, cool enough nights to preserve acidity and aromatic freshness. Compared to Cabernet Franc from warmer climates, Loire versions tend toward lighter body, brighter acidity, and more pronounced herbal and floral character alongside red fruit.

The region produces both red and white wines of note. While Cabernet Franc dominates red production, Chenin Blanc is the signature white variety, capable of producing everything from bone-dry still wines to rich sweet styles and traditional-method sparkling wines including Crémant de Loire.

Saumur has become a stronghold for natural winemaking in France. The region's relatively dry climate reduces disease pressure, making organic and biodynamic viticulture more practical. Pioneering producers have built a community here that champions minimal intervention in both vineyard and cellar.

Explore Loire Valley natural wines and French natural wines.