“With Catherine Breton’s roots in Vouvray and her husband Pierre’s in Bourgueil, theirs is marriage of natural wine superstars. The Bretons are famed producers of both Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc, and they’ve been deeply committed to biodynamic winegrowing since 1994 (having been organic since 1991). It’s way of life. In fact, when I visited, Catherine said worriedly, “Today is maybe not a good day to taste on the biodynamic calendar.” Unlike some fellow natural winemakers, the Bretons are committed to bottling appellation wines, and not Vin de France. “We try to stay in the appellations,” Catherine said. “But it’s very difficult.””
“Located 24 kilometers west of Saumur in Ambillou-Château in the very east of the Anjou appellation and almost bordering the Saumur AC, the 10-hectare Domaine Clau de Nell, purchased by Anne Claude Leflaive and her husband Christian in 2008 and today managed by winemaker (and shareholder) Sylvain Potin, offers a small but fine range of white and red wines from one block with a homogenous soil of clay, silex and sandstone, the latter gives the wines their characteristic energy and tension. The organically farmed, south-facing and wind-exposed vineyards are about 100 meters above sea level and are surrounded by forests, grassland, grain fields and a tree farm, which gives a large natural diversity and certainly also a kind of protection against pollution.
One and a half hectares of Chenin were planted in 2012 (another 1.5 hectares were planted last year), but the reds are based on seriously old vines: Cabernet Franc (five hectares of vines averaging 45 years old), Cabernet Sauvignon (one hectare of 65-year-old vines) and the local hero Grolleau (two hectares at 60-90 years old). The grapes are all destemmed, and the cuvaison takes about 20-25 days. After 14 to 16 months of aging in foudres (two-thirds) and small barrels (one-third), the wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Last year, Anne’s and Christian’s daughter Claire joined the Clau de Nell estate team; she is in charge of sales and marketing.”
“Located 24 kilometers west of Saumur in Ambillou-Château in the very east of the Anjou appellation and almost bordering the Saumur AC, the 10-hectare Domaine Clau de Nell, purchased by Anne Claude Leflaive and her husband Christian in 2008 and today managed by winemaker (and shareholder) Sylvain Potin, offers a small but fine range of white and red wines from one block with a homogenous soil of clay, silex and sandstone, the latter gives the wines their characteristic energy and tension. The organically farmed, south-facing and wind-exposed vineyards are about 100 meters above sea level and are surrounded by forests, grassland, grain fields and a tree farm, which gives a large natural diversity and certainly also a kind of protection against pollution.
One and a half hectares of Chenin were planted in 2012 (another 1.5 hectares were planted last year), but the reds are based on seriously old vines: Cabernet Franc (five hectares of vines averaging 45 years old), Cabernet Sauvignon (one hectare of 65-year-old vines) and the local hero Grolleau (two hectares at 60-90 years old). The grapes are all destemmed, and the cuvaison takes about 20-25 days. After 14 to 16 months of aging in foudres (two-thirds) and small barrels (one-third), the wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Last year, Anne’s and Christian’s daughter Claire joined the Clau de Nell estate team; she is in charge of sales and marketing.”
“Located 24 kilometers west of Saumur in Ambillou-Château in the very east of the Anjou appellation and almost bordering the Saumur AC, the 10-hectare Domaine Clau de Nell, purchased by Anne Claude Leflaive and her husband Christian in 2008 and today managed by winemaker (and shareholder) Sylvain Potin, offers a small but fine range of white and red wines from one block with a homogenous soil of clay, silex and sandstone, the latter gives the wines their characteristic energy and tension. The organically farmed, south-facing and wind-exposed vineyards are about 100 meters above sea level and are surrounded by forests, grassland, grain fields and a tree farm, which gives a large natural diversity and certainly also a kind of protection against pollution.
One and a half hectares of Chenin were planted in 2012 (another 1.5 hectares were planted last year), but the reds are based on seriously old vines: Cabernet Franc (five hectares of vines averaging 45 years old), Cabernet Sauvignon (one hectare of 65-year-old vines) and the local hero Grolleau (two hectares at 60-90 years old). The grapes are all destemmed, and the cuvaison takes about 20-25 days. After 14 to 16 months of aging in foudres (two-thirds) and small barrels (one-third), the wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Last year, Anne’s and Christian’s daughter Claire joined the Clau de Nell estate team; she is in charge of sales and marketing.”
“Located 24 kilometers west of Saumur in Ambillou-Château in the very east of the Anjou appellation and almost bordering the Saumur AC, the 10-hectare Domaine Clau de Nell, purchased by Anne Claude Leflaive and her husband Christian in 2008 and today managed by winemaker (and shareholder) Sylvain Potin, offers a small but fine range of white and red wines from one block with a homogenous soil of clay, silex and sandstone, the latter gives the wines their characteristic energy and tension. The organically farmed, south-facing and wind-exposed vineyards are about 100 meters above sea level and are surrounded by forests, grassland, grain fields and a tree farm, which gives a large natural diversity and certainly also a kind of protection against pollution.
One and a half hectares of Chenin were planted in 2012 (another 1.5 hectares were planted last year), but the reds are based on seriously old vines: Cabernet Franc (five hectares of vines averaging 45 years old), Cabernet Sauvignon (one hectare of 65-year-old vines) and the local hero Grolleau (two hectares at 60-90 years old). The grapes are all destemmed, and the cuvaison takes about 20-25 days. After 14 to 16 months of aging in foudres (two-thirds) and small barrels (one-third), the wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Last year, Anne’s and Christian’s daughter Claire joined the Clau de Nell estate team; she is in charge of sales and marketing.”
“Located 24 kilometers west of Saumur in Ambillou-Château in the very east of the Anjou appellation and almost bordering the Saumur AC, the 10-hectare Domaine Clau de Nell, purchased by Anne Claude Leflaive and her husband Christian in 2008 and today managed by winemaker (and shareholder) Sylvain Potin, offers a small but fine range of white and red wines from one block with a homogenous soil of clay, silex and sandstone, the latter gives the wines their characteristic energy and tension. The organically farmed, south-facing and wind-exposed vineyards are about 100 meters above sea level and are surrounded by forests, grassland, grain fields and a tree farm, which gives a large natural diversity and certainly also a kind of protection against pollution.
One and a half hectares of Chenin were planted in 2012 (another 1.5 hectares were planted last year), but the reds are based on seriously old vines: Cabernet Franc (five hectares of vines averaging 45 years old), Cabernet Sauvignon (one hectare of 65-year-old vines) and the local hero Grolleau (two hectares at 60-90 years old). The grapes are all destemmed, and the cuvaison takes about 20-25 days. After 14 to 16 months of aging in foudres (two-thirds) and small barrels (one-third), the wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Last year, Anne’s and Christian’s daughter Claire joined the Clau de Nell estate team; she is in charge of sales and marketing.”
“Based in the village of Chavignol, Domaine Henri Bourgeois is one of Sancerre’s biggest and most savvy producers. Not only does it have parcels in some of the finest vineyards in Sancerre, but it also produces wines from Pouilly-Fumé and other Centre-Loire appellations like Menetou-Salon, as well as Marlborough, New Zealand. The entry-level styles offer a clean, crisp, uncomplicated expression of their appellations, but things get more interesting higher up the scale. If you want to discover the spectrum of terroirs, whether it’s Kimmeridgian marls (try the cuvées Le MD de Bourgeois and Jadis), chalky clay (Les Côtes aux Valets) or flint (Les Ruchons), the Bourgeois tasting room would be a good place to start. The on-site restaurant is also worth putting on your must-dine-at list in the region, dishing up possibly the best beef tartare I’ve ever had, as well as the full spectrum of Chavignol cheese.“
“In Sancerre, flint soils are in the minority and typically give wines that are not as tender as those on chalk-based vineyards. This provides an upright structure, meaning they are usually last in a lineup at a winery. And yet, while the 2019 Sancerre Cuvée d’Antan is very direct, with its firm line on the finish, it’s still full-bodied, silky-smooth and amazingly rich. It’s fermented entirely in older oak barrels and spends a year on lees, which certainly has something to do with its delectable texture. There’s the merest hint of smokiness on the finish too. Drinking window: 2023-2030. 91-94 points
Based in the village of Chavignol, Domaine Henri Bourgeois is one of Sancerre’s biggest and most savvy producers. Not only does it have parcels in some of the finest vineyards in Sancerre, but it also produces wines from Pouilly-Fumé and other Centre-Loire appellations like Menetou-Salon, as well as Marlborough, New Zealand. The entry-level styles offer a clean, crisp, uncomplicated expression of their appellations, but things get more interesting higher up the scale. If you want to discover the spectrum of terroirs, whether it’s Kimmeridgian marls (try the cuvées Le MD de Bourgeois and Jadis), chalky clay (Les Côtes aux Valets) or flint (Les Ruchons), the Bourgeois tasting room would be a good place to start. The on-site restaurant is also worth putting on your must-dine-at list in the region, dishing up possibly the best beef tartare I’ve ever had, as well as the full spectrum of Chavignol cheese.”
“Based in the village of Chavignol, Domaine Henri Bourgeois is one of Sancerre’s biggest and most savvy producers. Not only does it have parcels in some of the finest vineyards in Sancerre, but it also produces wines from Pouilly-Fumé and other Centre-Loire appellations like Menetou-Salon, as well as Marlborough, New Zealand. The entry-level styles offer a clean, crisp, uncomplicated expression of their appellations, but things get more interesting higher up the scale. If you want to discover the spectrum of terroirs, whether it’s Kimmeridgian marls (try the cuvées Le MD de Bourgeois and Jadis), chalky clay (Les Côtes aux Valets) or flint (Les Ruchons), the Bourgeois tasting room would be a good place to start. The on-site restaurant is also worth putting on your must-dine-at list in the region, dishing up possibly the best beef tartare I’ve ever had, as well as the full spectrum of Chavignol cheese.“
