Domaine de la Tourlaudière: Muscadet, Plot by Plot

We’re heading to the Nantes region to meet the Petiteau-Gaubert family in the Muscadet Sèvres & Maine appellation. Roland, the winemaker at Domaine de La Tourlaudière, welcomes us to a family estate brimming with history and charm!

The Petiteau-Gaubert Family: A Family of Winemakers in the Loire Valley

I was born into a family of winemakers, some of whom had remarkable personalities. Two stories shaped my childhood: – That of the Domaine de la Tourlaudière and that of my maternal grandmother. Widowed at a very young age, she single-handedly ran her vineyard for a generation, while my paternal grandfather, a cooper and winemaker, was particularly creative and philosophical. Listening to them, I learned and understood the “why” of wine, and—through my studies in oenology—I learned the “how.” I then decided to share my life and this thirst for knowledge with my wife, who is herself a winemaker.

The Importance of Terroir to the Petiteau-Gaubert Family

Every vineyard plot has a story, passed down orally or recorded in old family documents. Terroir is difficult to define. It is, first and foremost, a potential in which the soil and environment of the plot endow the wine with qualities that the winemaker and the vintage will bring to life. These unique characteristics give each cuvée a distinctive flavor profile and a special emotional resonance.

A Visit to Château d’Yquem

I studied oenology at Château La Tour Blanche in Sauternes in 1972. At the end of the course, our favorite professor, Ms. Colette Navarre, arranged for us to be invited to Château d’Yquem, where we tasted the 1947 vintage.

Domaine de la Tourlaudière: From Father to Son

It’s probably harder for my son to work with his father than the other way around! That was the case for me when I started working with my father, and he himself had told me about the difficulties he’d had with my grandfather.

Insights from Roland Petiteau, winemaker at Domaine de la Tourlaudière

If I had to describe myself, I’d say I’m a bit of a rebel and a lot of fun! My favorite wine would be one from a late November harvest: a very late harvest with friends, a slightly crazy challenge that yields a few bottles with an incredible flavor—ones you’d never put a price on. If I had to pick my favorite time of year, it’s winter! Winters are mild in the Nantes region; the vines are dormant. The work is divided between pruning the vines and evenings in the cellar where the young wine is discovered and imagined. And I’ll even share a secret with you: I’ve kept my beard from the 1976 harvest—a remarkable vintage!

Roland’s story about the “Golden Pipette” contest

For the 2000 vintage, we were awarded the Pipette d’Or, a unique, local, and highly prestigious honor that winemakers rarely receive more than once in their careers. As the winner of the 2000 vintage, I was asked to participate in the final selection for the 2001 vintage. When we tasted the bottles, our 2001 had come in second, and I obviously hadn’t recognized it.

Roland Petiteau, the rebellious winemaker of the Loire

What really gets on my nerves is the blind adherence to whatever’s trendy at the moment. After getting fed up with it, I became completely indifferent to overly high-tech wines, then to overly oaky wines, and more recently to certain so-called “natural” wines that are completely off the wall.

Find Domaine de la Tourlaudière (Loire) on Les Grappes