Located just south of Angers in Mozé-sur-Louet, the Anjou Noir part of Anjou-Saumur, Terra Vita Vinum boasts 30 hectares of vineyards planted on dark schist and granite soils. Bénédicte Petit and Luc Briand took over the estate from the Richou family in 2019, from which point their sole focus was to make some of the most terroir-expressive Chenin Blanc wines.

All farmed biodynamically (Demeter certified), Terra Vita Vinum’s philosophy is low interventionist winemaking to allow the vineyards to speak for themselves. “We do everything possible to produce terroir wines with the greatest transparency to deliver unique emotions.” Only natural yeast found on the grapes are used for fermentation, conducted in many different types of vessels ranging from demi-muid, concrete egg, and amphorae. Very little use of SO2 and no filtering or fining completes the winemaking. Their top cuvées are only released three years after harvest, half of this time spent maturing in the bottle.

The estate has three ranges of cuvées intertwined with many grape varieties ranging from age-worthy Chenin Blanc to Grolleau, Gamay, Savagnin, Cabernet Franc, and others. Their Selections Parcellaires range is the focus today, with Chenin Blanc being their flagship varietal expressed through five different cuvées – Bigottière (Savennières AOC), Grandes Rogeries, Pavillon, Le Réau, and Grand Vau, all four in Anjou Blanc AOC. Cabernet Franc and Gamay are the stars for their red cuvées. It is a young project that already has a cult following and is becoming a favourite for sommeliers worldwide.

Designation – PDO (AOC) Savennières

Geology – Plot located in the commune of Savennières at the top of the Côte des Forges, on green sandstone schist, sometimes with purple passages, often with banks of phtanites with aeolian sands on schist alteration at the bottom of the plot. Exposure: East.

Grape variety – Fermented Chenin juice from a manual harvest (1 row tray of 8 kg only).

Growing method – Our vines are cultivated in a traditional and selective manner. Soil maintenance is done mechanically without chemical weeding and our vines are protected using preparations made from natural products, in the respect of biodiversity.

Winemaking – Natural: fermentation with the yeasts of our grapes of the year, without addition of SO2, without fining or filtration. Ageing: Ageing for 26 months in demi-muid (73%), amphora (15%) and egg-concrete (12%).

Analysis

Sulphites: total 18 mg/L;
Alcohol: 13.50% vol;
Residual sugars: 1.0 g/L;
Complete malolactic fermentation.

At Terra Vita Vinum, “we cultivate the vines with respect for biodiversity and do everything possible to produce terroir wines with the utmost transparency to deliver unique emotions“. Let’s remember that our wines are as close as possible to what nature gives us. Each cuvée is therefore a unique work, never before made, and never again.

The fact that we do not use sulfite from the moment we receive the harvest allows us to deliver a wide and complex aromatic palette. The mouth feel is not weak. The sharp and saline finish confirms the beautiful balance of this exceptional wine.

Intense aroma of quince and creamy, herbal citrus. Sour-fresh intensity and purity on the palate. Very youthful and with the balance to age well.

Wine Advocate Robert Parker – 93+ points (2019 Vintage)

Crafted from vines planted on schist and aeolian soils facing east, the 2019 Bigottière reveals a delicate, citrusy bouquet with aromas of pear, orchard fruits, sage, spring flowers, hazelnuts and iodine. Medium to full-bodied, pure and precise, it’s perfectly balanced with a tense, lively finish. It was matured for 26 months using demi-muid or 600-liter barrels (45%), egg-shaped concrete containers (30%), and amphorae (25%). The malolactic fermentation is complete.