Domaine du Closel

“A domain run by a lineage of winegrowers”

Situated in the village of Savennières, renowned for its great dry white Loire wines, we would like to invite you to discover our estate, its history and its wines during a visit or...

Lire plus Learn more

(49) Maine-et-Loire

Evelyne de Pontbriand's vines are located on slopes perpendicular to the Loire, which benefit from a remarkable southwest exposure. The nature of the soil is complex and perfectly suited to producing great wines. The soils are composed of green and purple shales, magmatic rocks and sandstone. The vines are on warm and shallow soils. The specifications of the AOC Savennières impose very qualitative rules regarding cultivation and harvesting (Chenin is the only authorised grape variety, manual harvesting is carried out meticulously by selection and yields are very low). The work that is done on the estate and certified by Ecocert and Demeter focuses on biological balance and respect for the rhythms of nature. The soil life is respected thanks to the ploughing and grassing of the vines. As a result, soil microorganisms are active, allowing maximum exchange between the soil and the vine. It is thanks to this combination that we obtain the famous terroir effect.

Our story

The Château des Vaults was built in the 17th century and enlarged in the 19th century. The estate belonged to families of the upper middle class of Angers, then to the Fourmond Desmazières family. Louise Fourmond Desmazières, without children of her two husbands Viscount Walsh and Monsieur de Chamelier, bequeathed the property to the Marquis de Las Cases (grandson of Napoleon's biographer), for his eldest daughter who married Bernard du Closel. Since then, Château des Vaults and its vineyards have been managed by the descendants of Marque de Las Cases-du Closel. Michèle Bazin de Jessey developed the vineyard and created the company: Les vins du Domaine du Closel with which she associated her two children. Today, his daughter, Evelyne de Pontbriand, is at the head of the estate. This woman's dynasty is a rather rare phenomenon in the world of wine!

Other little stories

Being a winegrower in Savennières means accompanying the vines, which in this magical place are capable of producing some of the world's finest white wines. It's a huge responsibility, and requires a capacity for listening, questioning and taking nature into account, all of which are very demanding attitudes. It also means putting nature at the center of the world every day and respecting our vines. The grapes she gives us in October are pressed with the greatest care. The fine lees formed during fermentation protect the must, which gradually transforms into a refined, elegant wine, mysteriously revealing its citrus aromas and distinctive bitters. With a literary background, I'm passionate about music, gardens and taste. A fervent believer in the notion of terroir wines, I like to quote Jacques Puisais: "Wine must have the face of the place and the guts of the man... At the bottom of the glass, I want to find the landscape of the place where I am". The world of wine that I frequent is magnificent, with some very fine people working tirelessly to produce artistic, gustatory and cultural pleasure for others.