Domaine Pithon Paillé: Ivan Massonnat Revolutionizes Anjou

Ivan Massonnat, who has always been passionate about winemaking—a passion he has nurtured throughout his professional career—decided to buy a vineyard and embark on this adventure.

In February 2018, while attending a trade show, Ivan met Joe Pithon through a friend’s recommendation and learned that Joe was retiring and looking for someone to take over his estate. The next day, Ivan visited the Pithon Paillé estate, fell in love with the Treilles vineyards, and decided that his winemaking journey would begin there.

Coteaux des Treilles, a gem in Anjou

Long abandoned due to the complexity of viticulture, the Coteaux des Treilles is a magical place that was restored 20 years ago by Joe Pithon, who purchased 70 plots and consolidated them into a single vineyard on the Coteaux du Layon, above the river of the same name, facing due south.

This now iconic vineyard is planted exclusively with the Loire Valley ’s flagship white grape variety: Chenin Blanc. Located in the heart of a designated nature reserve, this gem now rivals the iconic Coulée de Serrant appellation.

After that purchase, things moved very quickly. On Joe’s advice, Ivan managed to buy a quarter of the Quarts-de-Chaume appellation in a single block—a real bargain! He also acquired several vineyards in the Savennières appellation to produce single-vineyard wines. Ivan thus carried out his first harvest in 2018, a year particularly favorable for the harvest!

From the very beginning, Ivan wanted to put his own stamp on the estate, so he started by renaming it. In the Coteaux des Treilles region, there is a species of blue butterfly called the Bellargus, and that’s where the estate’s name comes from!

Ivan has decided to focus on a single grape variety that he greatly appreciates: Chenin. Producing both dry and sweet wines, he strives to bring out the essence of each terroir through six single-vineyard cuvées for his dry wines and five for his sweet wines.

When it came to vineyard management, Joe Pithon had already been working organically for several years, but Ivan decided to take it a step further and embrace biodynamics. With the invaluable help of Guy Bossard, a pioneer of biodynamics in the Loire region, he obtained his Demeter certification in 1998.

Although Ivan has clearly made his mark on the estate, he has decided to retain Pithon Paillé’s iconic wines—such as Grololo, Mozaïque, and Brut de Chenin—which are Joe’s legacy.

Ivan has assembled a young team to work with him on his estate, with an average age of under 30 among his seven employees. What do they all have in common? A love of wine, curiosity, and a passion for tasting!

Chenin, an extraordinary grape variety

Recognized as a truly great grape variety by wine enthusiasts but unfortunately little known to the general public, Chenin is Ivan’s flagship variety in his efforts to promote Anjou wines.

Now more than ever, people are seeking out fresh, crisp wines and discovering new terroirs and regions. And it is thanks to its acidic structure—which provides the balance needed for a true age-worthy wine—that Chenin is able to rival the world’s greatest white wines! With recent trends toward reducing meat consumption and the threat of global warming, white wines from the Loire are in the spotlight more than ever.

And according to Ivan, there’s no better way to achieve this than through a collective effort, which is why he’s taking over as president of the Paulée de l’Anjou this year. Ivan plans to seize this opportunity to turn the event into a platform for promoting the region—and it’s been a real success!

On Sunday, June 30, at La Coulée de Serrant, more than 500 people are expected to gather to meet some 60 winemakers from the Loire Valley as well as Michelin-starred chefs from the region. This year’s event will be hosted by Pascaline Lepeltier and Paz Levinson, two leading figures in the world of wine!

According to Ivan, it’s time for Anjou!

Discover our selection of natural wines, sourced directly from the winemaker