Clos de l'Élu

In January 2008, Charlotte and Thomas embarked on a marvelous winemaking adventure with the acquisition of the Clos de l'Élu domain, on the schist-rich lands of the Anjou Noir. With many years’ experience as a wine consultant (Thomas), in the fields of communication and management (Charlotte), they are both deeply passionate about the life of this domain which lies on the finest terroirs of the Layon valley. The 20 hectares are farmed organically and the domain offers a structured range of different wines. If it was the Chenin that attracted Thomas to Anjou, the red grape varieties (Cabernet Franc, Grolleau, Pineau d'Aunis) continue to inspire him with deep, rich vintages that are expressive and full of finesse.

The Domaine du Clos de l’Élu is located in Saint Aubin de Luigné in the heart of the Layon Valley, a small valley belonging to the appellation of the Loire Valley. Our vines grow on the outskirts of the village, between Chaume and Ardenay, mostly on the right, south-facing side of the Layon river.

THE SOILS

All of our vines grow on the Anjou noir territory. Anjou noir is the most easterly part of the Armorican massif: a geological massif of schist that joins the Paris Basin just east of Angers. Full of volcanic rocks, sandstones, quartz, the Anjou Noir evokes many colours too: silvery grey, anthracite, blues and browns typical of schist terroir. This clearly makes a distinction from the Anjou Blanc, characterised by calciferous limestone, which is the terroir of Saumur.

Our soils are characterised by their low capacity to retain water so winemakers favour the growth of cover crops and are obliged to cultivate their vines in such a way as to promote deep rooted growth.

ORIENTATION

Our vineyards stretch from south-east to south-west facing. In our northern climate in Anjou, it is preferable to have south-facing vineyards; this helps the grapes to achieve maturity despite the occasional exposure to cold and lack of direct sunlight.

THE CLIMATE

Our little valley is at a crossroads of oceanic (Atlantic) and continental (Touraine) influences. The result is optimal precipitation levels, mainly western winds and mild temperatures in our valleys.

The effect of south-facing slopes accentuates this insolation, pushing the temperature up and drying the topsoil. The slopes of the Layon valley take on a Mediterranean feel. The somber colour of the soil and stone also helps to retain heat, which benefits the plants.

There are several terroirs on which we grow different varieties. But above all there is willingness! And that comes from man himself.

It is he who steers the finest boat into port, it is he who plays the finest recital of a beautiful piece of music. It is equally he who wrecks a ship or is booed by unhappy concert goers!

Our know-how in the vineyard is focused on one sole objective: harvesting ripe and healthy grapes.

To succeed, we choose pruning styles adapted to each grape variety (double strand for chenin and gamay, double Guyot for cabernet franc, simple Guyot for sauvignon blanc and gobelet for grolleau and pineau d'Aunis). The vines are generally pruned short.

Our acidic soils receive very little organic matter. We favour the vines own vitality and 'recycling' of tendrils and flowers. Excessive vigour is not recommended for the health of the grapes. A doctor would not advise a patient to be obese! Natural winter grass is allowed to grow as cover crops, helping to support the soil and protect against erosion.

In spring, the soils are tilled almost completely to turn the winter grasses into the soil and reduce the pressure on the vines from spontaneous vegetation.

Spring debudding is an essential step and allows us to choose which buds will develop into tendrils. We also considerably lighten the double stems of our cabernet vines. This takes 3 weeks for a team of 15 people.

Let us not forget that this monoculture in the vineyard upsets the natural, ecological balance. This can make the vineyard more vulnerable to parasites. We have chosen organic winemaking and therefore treat our vines with natural remedies to fight off parasites: sulphur and copper work well against these problems. We also use infusions and concoctions of herbs and plants to naturally fertilise and protect the vines.

At harvest time, a 20 strong team hand-pick the ripe bunches and place them delicately into 20kg bins, before being transported to the cellar.

To conclude, we are happy with this teamwork that ensures the best possible conditions for our vines to grow and grapes to mature; with the sole objective of transforming them into wine. "Only pick what you're going to eat".

IN THE CELLAR – IN THE KITCHEN.

How best to vinify these gamay grapes from Bruandières or the chenin from l'Aiglerie?

There is not really a recipe, just a bit of experience, a pinch of common sense, a few grams of knowledge and a healthy dose of intuition!

No crushing, no beating, no chemicals…just muscles to lift the weight, taste buds permanently awake, noses that catch the scents of wines each day as if they were approaching the neck of an elegant lady! It's all biology and senses.

Our pineau d'Aunis vines are indigenous and so are the yeasts we use in each fermentation. Using a "booster juice" per vineyard allows the fermentation to work in optimum conditions while respecting the origin of the terroir.

Our reds are 90% from maceration/whole bunch infusion. The ageing and follow-up varies from one parcel, variety and year to another.

Our whites are slowly fermented in vats or barrels.

Ageing is 8 months minimum.

We generally avoid moving the wine during the ageing process.

We do not filter the reds, and only rarely the whites.

We like sound and precise wines and believe that it is often preferable to add 1g of sulphites per hectolitre prior to bottling, than none at all.

We like to give our wines the same advice given by Saint Augustin: "Become what you are"!

Our domain is 20 hectares (50 acres) in size and is composed of 6 growing parcels of vines that surround the village.

Each parcel has its own personal regime: the way the soil is tilled, natural cover crops, more or less severe de-budding, clipping and pruning where necessary…

The domain is entirely organic: we use only natural treatments in the vineyards (no synthetic chemical products). This is firstly through choice, in line with our own convictions. It is also the fact that the great wines of today demand high standards of winemaking, and organic agriculture is better for our health and the preservation of our environment.

THE CHAI

The chai is located at the entrance to the village on the road to Rochefort sur Loire. The cellar is ideally suited to respect the whole process from vine to bottle: use of gravity as much as possible, vinification with minimal contact with the grapes, slow pressing, natural fermentation with no synthetic products (indigenous yeast only), whole bunch maceration for the reds, segmentation of juices, no chaptalization, no filtration with reds, addition of sulphites in very low doses.

Since the beginning, the chai has continually evolved and each year there are new additions: two additional chais constructed for barrels (red & white wines), use of clay amphorae, reduction of epoxy vats… We continue to invest in materials that are specifically adapted to our way of working.