Pascal Leblanc

Family genealogical research shows that in 1688, the Leblanc family was already making wine in Faye d'Anjou. The Domaine des Saulaies, created in 1939 by Jean Leblanc, both winemaker and wine merchant, was taken over by his son Philippe who developed direct sales from the 1970's on a vineyard of 30 ha. In 1992, Pascal, in partnership with his father, Philippe, took over the family business and reduced the vineyard to 18 ha in production on 23 parcels spread in the commune of Faye d'Anjou. Pascal has decided to select and keep only the best terroirs to produce high quality wines. Pascal favors cultural practices that reduce the use of fungicides (for example by removing the leaves after flowering to avoid grey rot). Leaf removal also helps to aerate the bunches and to better capture the sun's rays. It does not use metatartaric acid (a product that prevents the precipitation of potassium bitartrate crystals in the bottom of the bottles). It is therefore possible to find small shiny crystals at the bottom of the bottles depending on the vintage and the temperature of the storage cellar. Pascal set up as an independent winemaker in 1989. The same year, he founded a CUMA with 22 other winemakers, in order to group the purchase of harvesting and filtration equipment. In 2000, he co-founded SAFRAN, a group of employers whose objective is to transform fixed-term contracts into permanent contracts thanks to different employers with complementary jobs (winegrowers, market gardeners, medicinal plants...). In 2001, he is at the origin of the creation of the brotherhood of the Bienfaye du Layon, which travels throughout France, and even to Belgium in order to promote the famous sweet wines of Faye d'Anjou. It organizes every year in January a magnificent Saint Vincent (patron saint of the wine growers) animated and convivial gathering up to 400 people.