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The Loire Valley vineyard (not to be confused with that of the Loire department, which is attached to it) is important for advocates of organic and natural wines. This region plays a leading role in the organic and natural wine movement. This is due, among other things, to the multiplicity of small farms, the frequent choice of organic viticulture, and the persistence of artisanal viticulture methods. Although extensive, this vineyard has a certain homogeneity due to its grape varieties: Gamay and Cabernet Franc for red wines, Chenin Blanc (Pineau de Loire) and Sauvignon Blanc for white wines. Other more localized grape varieties such as Grolleau Noir, Grolleau Gris, Pineau d’Aunis, Romorantin, and Melon de Bourgogne (another name for Muscadet) or Tressallier (a white grape variety from Saint-Pourçain) contribute to the region's renown.
The Loire Valley produces almost all types of wine, except for fortified wines: red wines, rosé wines, dry white wines, sparkling wines (Crémant de Loire and natural sparkling wines), sweet wines, and dessert wines. It is the longest and one of the most fragmented wine regions in France, comprising several distinct areas. It stretches along the entire course of the Loire, starting from the Massif Central in the east, with a rather continental climate, to the Loire estuary in the west, with an oceanic climate. From east to west, it consists of the vineyards of the Loire proper (AOC-AOP Roanne and Côtes-du-Forez), the AOC Côtes-d’Auvergne and Saint-Pourçain (historically linked to Auvergne and not to the Loire Valley), the Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, and Coteaux-du-Giennois ensemble, Touraine, Anjou, and finally the Pays Nantais (Western Region).
In the center, the Touraine region includes famous appellations such as Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Chinon, Vouvray, Jasnières, Coteaux-du-Loir, Montlouis, or Haut-Poitou. Further east are the small AOCs of Orléanais and Valençay, Quincy, Reuilly, and the Sancerrois surrounded by the AOCs Menetou-Salon, Coteaux-du-Giennois, and Pouilly-Fumé (Pouilly-sur-Loire).
The Anjou vineyard forms a vast homogeneous area between Touraine and the Pays Nantais. A great diversity of wines is produced there, from dry wines like the AOP Saumur, Saumur-Champigny, and Anjou, but it is the magnificent dessert wines of Anjou (AOP Bonnezeaux, Quarts-de-Chaume, Coteaux-du-Layon, Coteaux-de-l’Aubance, and Savennières) that bring it glory, as well as the Crémants de Saumur. Note that the region produces a rare example of sweet rosé, Cabernet de Saumur or Cabernet d'Anjou.
The Pays Nantais vineyard is known for its dry white wines made from Melon de Bourgogne (AOC Muscadet, Muscadet-de-Sèvre-et-Maine) or Gros-Plant grape (AOC Gros-Plant du Pays Nantais).
What are the wines of the Loire Valley? The wines of the Loire Valley are too numerous to be all named here, but here are the main AOC-AOPs, from west to east: Muscadet (de Sèvre-et-Maine, Côtes-de-Grand-Lieu, des Coteaux-de-la-Loire), Gros-Plant du Pays Nantais (dry whites); Savennières, Coteaux-du-Layon, Bonnezeaux, Quarts-de-Chaume (sweet and dessert whites); Anjou, Saumur, Saumur-Champigny (mostly reds), Crémant de Saumur; Gamay du Haut-Poitou, Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil, Chinon (mostly reds), Jasnières (whites), Vouvray (dry, sweet, or sparkling white), Montlouis (sweet white), Touraine, Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny (reds and whites); Orléanais, Coteaux-du-Giennois, Sancerre (reds and whites), Pouilly-Fumé, Menetou-Salon, Quincy, Reuilly (whites); Côtes-Roannaises (mostly reds), Saint-Pourçain (whites and reds).
Which Loire wine for an aperitif?
All dry Loire wines, sparkling or still, are recommended for an aperitif. They are even particularly recommended due to their lightness and digestibility (especially Chenin and Sauvignon whites). Special mention goes to the sparkling wines (Crémant de Saumur, Anjou Pétillant, Vouvray Pétillant), perfect for this tasting moment. We can also mention, by preference, all the Muscadets from Pays Nantais, the white Saumurs from AOC Puy-Notre-Dame, and other white wines such as Jasnières, Quincy, Reuilly, Pouilly-Fumé, and Sancerre. One can be tempted by a Cabernet d'Anjou rosé (slightly sweet) if sure to find a good producer. Some light and fluid Anjou reds are also good for an aperitif. One can also dare a dessert or sweet wine from Anjou or Vouvray as an aperitif; these once illustrious wines are too underestimated today.
What makes Loire wines famous?
Even if their great diversity can intimidate amateurs, Loire wines are easy to access and easy to drink, and that is what earns them their excellent reputation. This diversity works in their favor when it comes to choosing a type of wine, as the Loire produces them all, from sparkling to dessert wines, including a multitude of dry white, red, or rosé wines. Whatever their type, they have a particular vivacity; they are lively wines that inspire joy. They are always accessible, their price is rarely high, they offer all ranges of flavors and pair with the best gastronomy: how can you not love them? They have a reputation as joyful and delicious wines that won't break the bank, and that is enough for their success. Finally, an important quality: traditional, artisanal, and organic methods are popular in the Loire Valley, as are precious local grape varieties, high in flavor and character — the wonderful Chenin Blanc, the Grolleau Noir with its fresh black berry taste, and the noble Pineau d’Aunis with its candied plum notes.
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49 products
Atelier 3 Rosé 2020
Belly Wine Experiment
Fresh, fruity, lively, and supple, Atelier 3 is officially a red, or at least that's how it's classified by customs because the blend contains white wine. Unofficially, it's a rosé, made from a direct press of underripe Gamay grapes and a few bits of Syrah and hybrid grape varieties. The whole is blended with carbonic maceration juice from Gamay and Riesling must. No chemical additives are used, either in the vineyard or in the winery. Classified as a Vin de France and with an alcohol content of 12.4%, this wine is a cocktail of grape varieties for a brilliantly lively result, perfect as an aperitif and when you need to wake up a sleeping atmosphere. A wine to wake the dead, as they say on such occasions.
To find out more
Founded and run by Claire Sage and Aimé Duveau, located in Chanteuges (Haute-Loire), Belly Wine Experiment is as much an experiment as a winemaking business. The creative duo has it in spades: Claire is the sister of Adrien Sage, a fan of underwater wine aging but above all an importer of Catalan wines. Hence the presence of Catalan grape varieties in Belly Wine Experiment's blends, alongside Burgundy, Auvergne, and Jura grape varieties, readily found in the same bottle. Aimé is the son of Manu Duveau, a poet-winemaker from Auvergne, a former stonemason, and a great winemaker of local Gamays at his Domaine de l'Égrappille. The unique feature of Belly Wine Experiment is the exoticism (in the literal sense) of the blends, with Xarel lo from Catalonia, for example, blending naturally with Gamay from Puy-de-Dôme. The wines are made using semi-carbonic maceration, without the addition of chemical additives or excessive manipulation in the cellar. The winery is also known for its high-quality, vinous perries.
Magnum Tonton Grolleau Red 2019
As its name suggests, this is a 100% Grolleau from old vines (eighty years old) growing on schist soils. The plots once belonged to the Domaine des Sablonnettes (Rablay-sur-Layon). The harvest macerates for three weeks in whole bunches. Beautifully fruity, with the characteristic plum nuance of the grape variety, spicy, and with a supple and light texture.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Jean-Pierre Robinot - Les Vignes de l’Ange Vin
Magnum Fetembulles White 2015
10300
€103,00
Unit price perJean-Pierre Robinot - Les Vignes de l’Ange Vin
Magnum Fetembulles White 2015
10300
€103,00
Unit price per
Bistrologie White 2022
Bistrologie is a dry white wine from Jean-Pierre Robinot, organic and natural, from his Sarthe terroirs (Jasnières and Coteaux-du-Loir). One hundred percent Chenin, as always, you don't change a winning grape variety. Its name will remind some that Jean-Pierre once ran a wine bistro in Paris.
Vinification
Bistrologie is made from forty-year-old Chenin vines growing on soils of red clay, limestone, and flint. The harvest is pressed directly into barrels, where the must ferments and rests on its lees for fifteen months until bottling. Without any chemical additives, filtration or addition of sulfites.
Tasting
Superb juice, intense, lively and saline, fresh and earthy minerality, acidic and salivating structure. Bistrologie is a full-bodied and powerful white wine, with a formidable minerality and seductive notes of roasted pears and apples. Honey and acidity coexist without contradicting each other, with a little herbaceousness in the taste structure. This wine is alive, constantly evolving, it can display slightly different profiles depending on its aging. It will be a pleasure to pair with oysters and seafood, smoked salmon, fine poultry and roasted white meats: it is made for gastronomy.
Learn more about Jean-Pierre Robinot
Anyone interested in natural wine in France has met Jean-Pierre Robinot one day and has never forgotten this smiling and bouncy figure. If we have not yet succeeded in proving that all wines resemble their winemaker (a study to be undertaken), the organic and natural wines made by Jean-Pierre, warm, friendly and luminous, are in the image of their author. After having run the wine bar L’Ange Vin, rue Richard-Lenoir, in Paris for nearly fifteen years, Jean-Pierre returned to his native Chahaignes, a small village in the south of Sarthe. His dream is to acquire his vineyard and make natural wines, without added sulfites.
Great terroirs of the Loir and tuffeau cellars
Jean-Pierre therefore reclaims hillside wasteland, on great terroirs, as well as troglodyte cellars dug into the tuffeau. 2002 will be his first vintage. At the same time, under the L’Opéra des vins brand, he vinifies organic grapes purchased from local winegrowers. A member of the natural viticulture association S.A.I.N.S., Jean-Pierre Robinot practices demanding organic viticulture, without chemical weeding or added sulfites. The soil is worked and amended with natural composts. All harvests, carried out at maturity on healthy grapes, are done by hand. The location and climate favor noble rot.
L'air de Rien Sparkling Rosé 2020
Jérome Lambert
Despite its name, L'Air de rien is not lacking in air, as it has a healthy dose of bubbles, effervescence, pleasure, and color. This is a sparkling natural rosé with a beautiful light color, Montmorency cherry, crushed strawberry. Intensely refreshing with delicate mineral aromas and quite a few small red fruits, ennobled by a gentle bitterness that adds an extra dimension to this beautiful wine with sweet orange peel on the finish. This lovely and tender pet'nat' comes from a hand-harvested Gamay grape growing on schist and clay-limestone soils. The harvest is processed by direct pressing and the wine is aged on lees before disgorging.
To find out more
On his four-hectare estate, entirely organic and planted with Chenin, Grolleau, Gamay and Cabernet Franc, Jérôme is as much a winemaker as he is a farmer: he raises chickens, pigs, sheep and takes this mixed crop-livestock activity very seriously, coupled with the production of typical Anjou charcuterie. His Loire Eden, in fact, is located in the south of Anjou, in Rablay-sur-Layon. The son of a winemaker, as a child, he already enjoyed picking grapes, crushing them and letting them ferment. The desire to make wine has never left him, in fact: in 2003, he got his hands dirty, took part in pruning the vines at Philippe Cesbron's and took the opportunity to try his hand at some grapes donated by local winegrowers. The following year, his adventure really began with twenty ares of vines, but although his estate grew year by year, it would not reach one hectare for another fifteen years. In 2003, he discovered that adding sulfite was detrimental to the wines: he never added more and was completely satisfied with the result, without making too much noise about it around him. It was only a little later that he learned about the existence of natural wines and understood that he was not alone. All his vintages since then have been without added sulfur, and are nonetheless straightforward, drinkable and flawless. For him, even the wood of the barrels is an additive; This shows the attention he pays to the naturalness and truth of the vine.
Juliette Blanc 2015,
Jean-Pierre Robinot
One hundred percent Chenin, Juliette (named after Juliette Robinot, the winemaker's daughter) is dry and beautifully fresh. It is a remarkable expression of the grape variety, produced from vines that are over a hundred years old. The harvest is late, marked by botrytis (noble rot). After direct pressing into barrels, the wine ferments and ages for over six years in the same container. A rare wine to cherish.
To find out more
Anyone interested in natural wine in France has inevitably come across Jean-Pierre Robinot at some point and has never forgotten this smiling, bouncy figure. It is clear that while it has not yet been proven that all wines resemble their winemaker (a study to be undertaken), the vintages produced by Jean-Pierre, warm, friendly, and luminous, are in the image of their creator. After running the wine bar L’Ange Vin on rue Richard-Lenoir in the 11th arrondissement of Paris for nearly fifteen years, Jean-Pierre returned to his native Chahaignes, a small village in the south of Sarthe, on the borders of Anjou and Touraine. His dream is to acquire his own vineyard and make sulfur-free wines. He reclaims uncultivated hillside land on great terroirs, as well as troglodyte cellars dug into the tuffeau. 2002 will be his first vintage. At the same time, under the brand L’Opéra du vin, he vinifies grapes purchased from local winegrowers. Jean-Pierre Robinot practices demanding organic viticulture, without chemical weed control. The soil is worked and amended using natural composts. All harvests, carried out at maturity on healthy grapes, are done by hand. The location and climate favor noble rot.
Magnum P'tit Nouveau Gamay - Red - 2019
Vincent Wallard
This is an all-gamay carbonic maceration extracted from grapes from the Jean-François Debourg estate in southern Beaujolais. Fresh and crisp, it offers beautiful notes of red fruits (cherry). Decanting is required to allow its sweet and gourmet qualities to express themselves.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
Cuvée 0.72+ (exclusive cuvée) White 2023
De Vini
Vinified without additives or sulfites by Christophe Bosque of De Vini, 0.72+ is an organic and natural dry white wine. It comes straight from the land of Muscadet, the Loire estuary. Without having the appellation (it is classified as Vin de France), it can be considered a Muscadet and drunk as such.
In the vineyard and in the cellar
0.72+ white from De Vini is made from 100% Melon de Bourgogne (another name for the Muscadet grape variety) planted in Maisdon-sur-Sèvre (Loire-Atlantique) on gabbro soils characteristic of the region. Gabbro is a grainy igneous rock resting on a granite subsoil, contributing to the production of splendid, lively and mineral white wines. Gabbro and granite are Christophe Bosque's favorite soils. The wine was aged for one year on lees in buried cement vats (traditional in this region), without any additives.
If you want to know...
An anecdote explains the name of the cuvée: originally, due to a small technical incident during bottling, it did not contain exactly the standard quantity. The error has since been corrected (0.72+ of De Vini is in its fifth vintage).
Tasting
0.72+ white is excellent to drink now or later, well chilled. An elegant acidity mixed with a balancing roundness, a saline and salivating side make 0.72+ an unfailing companion to raw or smoked fish and seafood, especially oysters. This vintage also exists in red.
Learn more about Christophe Bosque and De Vini
De Vini, along with the Vinilibre winery, is the dual activity of Christophe Bosque, originally from Saint-Nazaire. He has always been passionate about wine. We are particularly interested in his local creations, produced from his vineyard of some two hectares and fermented in buried vats in the Nantes style - a true reinvention of Muscadet (outside the appellation) in natural mode.
Gabbro Fondu
After spending years as a merchant, importer, then wine merchant, this former cameraman with a BTS in oenology-viticulture acquired a few plots (two hectares) of Melon de Bourgogne vines in Gorges, in Loire-Atlantique, near Clisson in 2017. The soils there are made up of gabbro on a granite substrate, a pedological configuration specific to the Nantes region and particularly to Clisson. Christophe is full of praise for this type of soil.
Muscadet for the better
Christophe's vintages may come from grapes purchased from the best French terroirs, particularly in Languedoc, but the winemaker retains a special affection for his vines, which he maintains with passion and attention to the terroir. A touch of humor and a sense of pun can be seen on his labels and in his appellations, but in the bottle, they are serious, off-the-beaten-track wines, just the way he likes them.
Les Dorrées White 2020
Les Dorrées (the name of the plot) is a dry white wine from the Coteaux du Loir, organic and natural (Ecocert), classified Vin de France. Its creator, Renaud Guettier of La Grapperie, made it entirely from Chenin. Depending on the vintage, it may or may not offer slightly overripe notes.
Vinification
Les Dorrées comes from the oldest Chenin Blanc vines on the estate (117 years old), planted on soils dominated by clay and flint over a limestone substrate. Hand-picked, organic and additive-free work in the vineyard and cellar, and aged for 24 months to refine and polish the wine.
Tasting
Les Dorrées is an exceptional white wine that bears the signature of La Grapperie Chenins: pure and enchanting, offering slightly oxidative, smoky, and mineral notes on the nose, and white fruits, quince, walnuts, and almonds on the palate with a saline finish of impressive length. It is a white wine with body and density, capable of supporting all taste pairings. We see it pairing well with a beautiful roast poultry, a rack of oven-roasted pork, or grilled lamb. It will also pair well with seafood: smoked salmon, oysters and shellfish, or goat cheese and rillettes from the Loire Valley.
Learn more about Renaud Guettier and La Grapperie
In the Coteaux du Loir appellation, La Grapperie is the name of the estate of Renaud Guettier, who can be described as a master of Chenin, but also of Pineau d'Aunis, which is one of the oldest grape varieties in the Loire Valley.
The estate
Renaud's 60 hectares of vines, on the hillside, are protected from the north winds by the Bercé forest. Depending on the altitude, the terroirs are predominantly clay, flint or sand. The grape varieties are the two traditionally authorized in the appellation: Chenin for the whites and Pineau d'Aunis for 90% of the reds, the rest consisting of a few ares of Côt, Gamay and Grolleau. Some vines are more than a hundred years old.
In the vineyard and the winery
The entire estate is cultivated organically. The soils are worked and all viticultural interventions are manual, including the harvest, carried out at full maturity, which is reflected in the fullness and smoothness of the wines. For the reds, the Pineau d'Aunis is partially destemmed (depending on the plot) and the macerations are quite long, three to four weeks, with punching down, to promote aging potential. The wines are aged in barrels for between twelve and twenty-four months, then racked, blended and bottled without filtration. For the whites, the Chenins are pressed directly at low pressure then put into barrels with complete malolactic fermentation, for at least eighteen months, malolactic included, and sometimes up to thirty-six months.
Regard Rouge 2022
Jean-Pierre Robinot
With "Regard" 2022, Jean-Pierre Robinot continues his demanding work as a winemaker-poet, delivering an energetic interpretation of Pineau d'Aunis, an emblematic Loire grape variety that is still too little known. This natural wine, without a label but adhering to a rigorous ethic (zero chemical inputs in the vineyard, natural vinification without exogenous yeasts or oenological inputs), is an ode to terroir and purity.
Made from vines planted on flint soils, the wine benefits from a unique terroir that gives it tension and brilliance. A short one-week maceration preserves the finesse of the grape variety, while revealing its most expressive characteristics: juicy red fruits, black pepper, herbs, and a smoky touch, like a light mist over an undergrowth. On the palate, "Regard" impresses with its delicate yet assertive structure, with a long year-long aging in multi-vintage barrels, bringing complexity and depth without ever dominating the fruit.
The palate is vibrant, intense, almost explosive. A beautiful tannic structure accompanies a fresh and persistent finish. The wine lends itself to assertive gastronomy: grilled or stewed red meats, dishes with mild spices, or even roasted vegetables with wild herbs. It is recommended to serve it around 14 to 16°C, with possible decanting to aerate it.
Jean-Pierre Robinot delivers a living, author's wine here, which will age elegantly for a decade or more. A frank and unvarnished look at what Pineau d'Aunis can be when treated with respect and intuition.
Du Bout des Lèvres White 2009
A pure, sweet Chenin Blanc that respects itself, Du bout des lèvres comes from schist soil where fifty-year-old vines grow, harvested at different stages of maturity. It is here that botrytis, or noble rot, is responsible for achieving this aromatic power on both the nose and the palate. It will be wonderful as an aperitif, accompanied by some salted butter biscuits.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.
Jean-Pierre Robinot - Les Vignes de l’Ange Vin
Magnum Les années folles Sparkling White 2010
16000
€160,00
Unit price perJean-Pierre Robinot - Les Vignes de l’Ange Vin
Magnum Les années folles Sparkling White 2010
16000
€160,00
Unit price perMagnum Les années folles Sparkling White 2010
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
My Sweet Navine White 2013
A small bottle but a great wine! A sweet white made from 100% Chenin, My Sweet Navine is produced from late harvests on the schist plot where the estate's other Chenins are also grown. A delicate amber color, with notes of citrus and candied fruit on the nose. On the palate, there is a surprising freshness despite the residual sugar: this is explained by the lack of sorting, as the grapes are at varying stages of ripeness. We thus benefit from green berries, ripe berries, and varying degrees of noble rot. and a light sparkle which gives way to a beautiful length, always with notes of candied fruit.
Natural wine without added sulfites.
Magnum Tonton Red 2015
This 100% Cabernet Franc comes from Vincent Wallard's Loire winery. Produced from clay-limestone soils, the grapes are vinified using a mille-feuille process (skin-on maceration using layers of destemmed grapes and whole bunches to control the astringency of the tannins) before aging for twenty months. Excellent with red meats and wild mushrooms (porcini mushrooms, for example), it can be kept for twenty years.
A natural wine with no added sulfites.
Jean-Pierre Robinot - Les Vignes de l’Ange Vin
Fetembulles 2011 natural sparkling white
7000
€70,00
Unit price perJean-Pierre Robinot - Les Vignes de l’Ange Vin
Fetembulles 2011 natural sparkling white
7000
€70,00
Unit price perFetembulles 2011 (natural sparkling white)
A delicately sparkling Chenin Blanc produced on the slopes of the Loir. A lively attack, fine bubbles that allow notes of sourdough, butter, brioche, walnuts, and marzipan to melt in the mouth, flirting nicely with a flinty minerality and some citrus notes. A natural sparkling wine that would almost be a champagne party!
Gabbrodo White 2022
De Vini
De Vini's (Vinilibre) Gabbrodo 2022 is an ode to the terroir of the Pays Nantais. This natural wine, made without any additives, expresses with finesse the Melon de Bourgogne, the region's emblematic grape variety. Grown in gabbro soils, a rare volcanic rock in the Loire Valley, it benefits from nine months of aging in sandstone amphorae, imparting remarkable purity and tension to this exceptional white wine.
Its pale, golden robe heralds a luminous and crystalline wine. The nose seduces with its freshness and aromatic complexity: notes of citrus (lemon, grapefruit), white fruits (pear, peach), and a touch of iodine that recalls its maritime origins. On the palate, the attack is crisp and lively, driven by a beautiful acidity and a sharp minerality. Aging in amphorae imparts a silky texture while preserving the wine's tension and freshness. The finish is long and saline, with a delicately smoky persistence that invites further tasting.
The 2022 Gabbrodo proves to be an ideal companion for seafood. It will perfectly complement scallops with truffles, grilled lobster, sea bass baked in a salt crust, or pike-perch with beurre blanc sauce. Served between 10 and 12°C, it can be enjoyed now for its vibrant freshness or cellared for 5 to 10 years to reveal its full complexity.
L'Enchanteresse Red 2022
L'Enchanteresse, by its name, sets the bar very high and has nothing to be ashamed of, and for good reason: it's an organic (Ecocert) and natural red wine from the Coteaux du Loir, 100% Pineau d'Aunis and classified as a Vin de France. It is produced by Renaud Guettier of La Grapperie without chemical additives or added sulfites.
Vinification
It is on a terroir of flint clay on limestone, at an altitude of 100 meters, that the fifty-year-old Pineau d'Aunis vines grow, pruned in a goblet shape, from which the aptly named L'Enchanteresse is produced. The Pineau d'Aunis is harvested at full maturity, sorted and then macerated for four weeks in truncated oak vats with punching down by foot. Fermentation takes place naturally using indigenous yeasts, without any oenological additives in order to preserve the purity of the grapes and the expression of the vintage and the soil. All work on the musts and wines is done by gravity. L'Enchanteresse is aged for thirty-six months on lees, without racking or stirring, in demi-muids in cellars dug into the tuffeau stone. Bottled without filtration or the addition of sulfites.
Tasting
A very intense nose of black fruits extends into a beautiful volume in the mouth, very velvety and fruity, and the length leaves one thinking. Renaud Guettier did not name it L’Enchanteresse for nothing. A cuvée of old vines, this Pineau d’Aunis has excellent aging potential. You will open it alongside red meat, a stew, calf’s head in turtle sauce, or fish matelotes in red wine. He will also appreciate charcuterie, cured meats, and roast lamb.
Learn more about Renaud Guettier and La Grapperie
In the Coteaux du Loir appellation, La Grapperie is the name of the estate of Renaud Guettier, who can be described as a master of Chenin, but also of Pineau d'Aunis, which is one of the oldest grape varieties in the Loire Valley.
The estate
Renaud's 60 hectares of hillside vines are protected from the north winds by the Bercé forest. Depending on the altitude, the terroirs are predominantly clay, flint, or sand. The grape varieties are the two traditionally authorized varieties in the appellation: Chenin for the whites and Pineau d'Aunis for 90% of the reds, the rest consisting of a few ares of Côt, Gamay, and Grolleau. Some vines are more than a hundred years old.
In the vineyard and the winery
The entire estate is organically cultivated. The soils are worked and all viticultural interventions are manual, including the harvest, carried out at full maturity, which is reflected in the fullness and smoothness of the wines. For the reds, the Pineaux d'Aunis are partially destemmed (depending on the plot) and the macerations are quite long, three to four weeks, with punching down, to promote aging potential. The wines are aged in barrels for between twelve and twenty-four months, then racked, blended, and bottled without filtration. For the whites, the Chenins are pressed directly at low pressure and then put into barrels with complete malolactic fermentation, for at least eighteen months, including malolactic fermentation, and sometimes up to thirty-six months.
Gabbrodo White 2021,
The Gabbrodo 2021 from De Vini (Vinilibre) is an ode to the terroir of the Pays Nantais. This natural wine without any additives delicately expresses the Melon de Bourgogne, the region's emblematic grape variety. Made from gabbro soils, a rare volcanic rock in the Loire region, it benefits from a nine-month aging in sandstone jars, giving this exceptional white remarkable purity and tension.
Its pale color with golden highlights announces a luminous and crystalline wine. The nose seduces with its freshness and aromatic complexity: notes of citrus (lemon, grapefruit), white fruits (pear, peach), and a hint of iodine that recalls its maritime origins. On the palate, the attack is frank and lively, driven by beautiful acidity and sharp minerality. The aging in jars adds a silky texture while preserving the wine's tension and freshness. The finish is long and saline, with a delicately smoky persistence that invites further sipping.
The Gabbrodo 2021 is an ideal companion to seafood. It will enhance scallops with truffles, grilled lobster, sea bass in a salt crust, or pikeperch with beurre blanc. Serve between 10 and 12°C, it can be enjoyed now for its brilliant freshness or can be cellared for 5 to 10 years to reveal all its complexity.
L'Enchanteresse Rouge 2016, La Grapperie
A 100% Pineau d'Aunis that has seen more. L'Enchanteresse is a cuvée from old vines planted in the Coteaux du Loir appellation, on soils dominated by clay and flint. Partially destemmed, the grapes macerate for three to four weeks, which gives them excellent aging potential. Bottling takes place after thirty months of aging. A very intense nose of black fruits that continues with a beautiful volume on the palate, and a length that leaves you thinking.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
A 100% Pineau d'Aunis that has seen more. L'Enchanteresse is a cuvée from old vines planted in the Coteaux du Loir appellation, on soils dominated by clay and flint. Partially destemmed, the grapes macerate for three to four weeks, which gives them excellent aging potential. Bottling takes place after thirty months of aging. A very intense nose of black fruits that continues with a beautiful volume on the palate, and a length that leaves you thinking.
Natural wine with no added sulfites.
