Les Terres Bleues

Anecdotes from the vineyard: I started planting my vines in 2013, at the dawn of my career change (I founded my environmental engineering consultancy in 1997 and ran a business with six employees for 20 years). I sold my company at the end of 2017 and officially began my winemaking career in early 2018. I started from scratch: no vines, no cellar, no equipment, no stock... I am the only winemaker in my village, La Chapelle-Glain, which is located near Châteaubriant (25 km north of Ancenis). A terroir study was a key step before embarking on this project. Indeed, the analysis of the plot's soil and climate conditions by a winegrowing professional was an essential prerequisite to ensure the viability of this project and to select grape varieties perfectly suited to the local context. I received tremendous support from winegrowers in the Ancenis area and beyond... Thank you to them all! Today, I remain true to the same mindset that has always driven me: placing respect for people and natural resources at the heart of my work. My wine is 100% grapes! A little history of the estate: The vines were planted in 2013, 2014, and 2019, comprising 0.5 hectares of Pinot Gris, 0.5 hectares of Pinot Noir, and 0.5 hectares of Grolleau Noir. I chose grape varieties adapted to the soil and climate (weathered schist) following a study conducted by the Cellule des Terroirs Viticoles (CTV - 49). The vines are trained on stakes. This training method allows the apices (vine tips) to remain intact, as they play a crucial role in the vegetative cycle and promote grape ripening. This training system also allows for a freer growth along the chestnut stakes, which better respects the vines' original trellising pattern. The vineyard is cultivated organically (AB certified). I work as naturally as possible, caring for my vines according to the lunar calendar with nettle and comfrey infusions, horsetail decoctions, oak bark, willow, and many other plants. I also apply biodynamic preparations (DEMETER certified since 2019). The goal is to enable the vine to strengthen its own resistance to disease, but also to improve the exchange between soil microorganisms and its root system. I attach paramount importance to the vine itself, but also to the ecosystem in which it is embedded. The harvest is done by hand. The wine is made without any oenological additives or sulfur. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in tanks (spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts), and then aging is carried out exclusively in barrels.