While a few Americans have moved to Bordeaux and Burgundy to pursue careers in winemaking, they remain a rare presence in deeply traditional regions like the Loire Valley. One notable exception is Brendan Stater-West, originally from Oregon, who arrived in Paris in 2007 to teach English. A chance encounter with a captivating bottle of Brézé, made by the iconic Romain Guiberteau, inspired Brendan to reach out to Guiberteau and persistently request to study under him. Guiberteau eventually agreed, and Brendan became his apprentice, working closely with Romain for years to learn both viticulture and vinification techniques.
In 2015, Brendan produced his first vintage under his own label from the Les Chapaudaises vineyard, a one-hectare site in Bizay, near Brézé. This vineyard is renowned for its unique terroir of clayey loam and sand on tuffeau limestone bedrock, which imparts a distinct vertical profile to the wines.
Brendan employs organic farming methods in his vineyards, adhering to principles of lutte raisonnée. He is meticulous in his vineyard practices, ensuring minimal intervention to allow the true character of the terroir to shine through. In the cellar, Brendan focuses on producing wines with a pure expression of their terroir. His vinification techniques include the use of native yeasts for fermentation and aging in older oak barrels for about 18 months. He prefers light decanting of lees and employs minimal sulfur additions to preserve the wine’s integrity and prevent oxidation.
Brendan’s approach to winemaking is slightly different from his mentor Romain Guiberteau’. For his Saumur red, he opts for a shorter skin contact period of four days compared to Romain’s six or seven days, which results in a lighter, more ethereal style with less tannin. His Chenin Blancs, aged on fine lees and often bottled with minimal filtration, are noted for their precision and clarity.
Brendan’s portfolio includes both white and red wines, primarily from the Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc grape varieties. His whites, such as the Saumur Blanc and Les Chapaudaises, are known for their laser-focused acidity and minerality, which are hallmarks of the limestone-rich soils of the Loire Valley. The reds, including Saumur Rouge and La Ripaille, are characterized by their lightness, structure, and purity, with a notable absence of heavy tannins.
