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Our Terroir

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The “terroir” in wine is a concept that refers to a space, which develops a collective knowledge on the interactions between an identifiable physical
and biological environment, and applied wine practices that confer distinctive characteristics to products originating to this space.
The “terroir” includes characteristics specific to the soil, topography, climate, landscape and biodiversity.

The work in the vineyard

Vines need to be closely controlled and guided in order for them to reach their potential. To get quality fruit, a life of comfort won’t do, instead the vines must be forced to dig deep into the soil to feed themselves.
Our job in the vineyard is to produce healthy, concentrated and ripe fruit, all the while respecting the environment. We adapt the way we work to each individual plot and vintage.

Taille de la vigne à Saumur

Pruning and debudding: Reducing the yields to in favour of producing a better concentration; ensuring a steady and consistent growth.

Stripping leaves and new branches: Maintaining a healthy foliage to aid photosynthesis; allowing a good circulation of air to avoid the development of disease.

Working the ground: Forcing the vines to drive their roots deep; keeping the vitality of the soil at a good level by gently ploughing the surface; maintaining the grass according to hygrometric changes (ploughing, mowing etc.)

Le travail du sol

Treatments with sulfites and copper “Bouillie Bordelaise”:
Protecting from fungal diseases such as mildew and oidium. Each treatment is carried out with great precision and care, using scrupulously measured doses to maximise the effect given yet minimise the quantity needed. We are currently looking into herbal treatments and manure as additional methods.

All other pesticides are systematically banned from our practice.

A well-preserved ecosystem will find its own solutions to problems in the vineyard but one must be ready for a certain amount of production loss working under this philosophy
Animals also have a right to their part of the harvest! In essence, our job is a question of constantly readapting ourselves to the changing environment and finding solutions as we go.

The domaine is situated outside Saumur, in the village of Beaulieu. Most of the vines are within walking distance of the cellar, on the slopes of Saumur (in the Hauts de Dampierre), some are a little further, between Dampierre and Souzay.

The terroir in Saumur is distinguished by the ubiquitous tuffeau, the soft, white limestone rock that was used to build the famous castles of the Loire Valley. The tuffeau’s distinctive characteristic is its ability to restore the water reserves to the vines’ roots, which are able to dig deep down due to the softness of the stone. As limestone has a basic PH, wines from vines anchored in this type of soil are characterised by a wonderful acidity.

But terroir isn’t only about soil. The topography, the climate and the cultural practices of the winemaker are also factors which form the identity of the terroir.
The landscape in Saumur is characterised by the Loire, the great and wild river overlooked by our plots on the slopes. The region is green and lush, many forests and groves having been preserved. Our vineyards aren’t lost in a sea of endless vines. As a result, the ecosystem is abundant and very diversified.

We have a temperate, mainly oceanic climate, sunny and not too rainy except in exceptional cases (2012 and 2013).