Olivier Picherit

Le Clos des Sables

Region :
Loire
APPELLATION :
Coteaux du Layon, Anjou, Cabernet d'Anjou, Vin de France, Rosé de Loire

The passion for wine has always been there with the Picherit family... but it is by playing truant to harvest with his uncle that Olivier found his own way: winemaker! And he did the right thing! Since then, the estate has obtained its organic certification and produces balanced and tense wines, a challenge for the region!

Anecdotes about the domain

To define my job as a winemaker, two words come to mind: PASSION and SHARING. They are inseparable. I have a deep passion for the vine which is an extraordinary plant for its ease of adaptation. I also attach a lot of importance to the respect of the soil, just like my uncle who worked it with a horse and a plow until the end of the 60's. If I had to name my sources of inspiration, I would first of all mention the members of my family, especially my uncle and my brother-in-law who is as passionate as he is knowledgeable. Of course, there are also meetings with other winemakers which are always enriching.

The domain's short story

Created in 1895 on 60 hectares by a doctor from Anjou, my paternal grandfather acquired the heart of the vineyard in 1939: 12 hectares of a single piece of land and enclosed. After 16 years in the industry, I took over from my aunt in 2008. The family estate has been expanded to 16 hectares and converted to organic since late 2013. The slopes benefit from a favorable exposure and offer a silico-clay terroir. Four grape varieties, Chenin, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau and Chardonnay allow the estate to produce appellation or vin de France, dry and sweet white wines, dry or semi-dry rosés, reds, sparkling wines and since 2012 a natural red without added sulfite. Authenticity and respect for the environment are at the heart of our wines. After 5 years of organic work, we received the organic certification in late 2013. Our mission: to put the fruit at the center of the vinifications to find the perfect balance between the mineral dimension of the soil and the sugar of the vintage. What motivates me? The desire to undertake, the passion for wine developed through contact with my aunts and uncles, the prospect of keeping the vineyard within the family by becoming the 3rd generation. All this helps me every day to minimize the difficulties and continues to guide my choices. Very respectful of the domain, I have kept the appellations of the domain while developing more atypical products such as Piches Bulles in white, rosé, red or Le Coup de Roulis, a natural red wine, without added sulfite! On the estate, no fertilizers or animal manure are used in the vineyards. The wines are not fined or filtered and there is no use of animal inputs. No horses or other animals are used in the harvest. The labels are without animal glue.

The winemaker's pride

Olivier Picherit embodies the new wave of Anjou Noir. He discovered the profession at a young age by doing the harvest with his uncle. When he took over the domain in 2007, all the harvest was sent to the cooperative cellar. He then decided to vinify directly at the domain with talent since he obtained his first star in the Guide Hachette from his first vintage (2009). He has since developed his estate by obtaining the BIO certification in 2013. He also produces several natural wines, without added sulfites.