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 – Anjou gamay

Geology – Grey, green, rusty, sometimes purplish shale with quartz veins

Grape variety – Grey, green, rusty, sometimes purplish shale with quartz veins.

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 – This cuvée is the result of whole bunch maceration. 10 mg/L sulphites added during ageing and 10 mg/L at bottling. Ageing for 12 months in concrete egg, barrel and amphorae.

Analysis

Sulphur: total 52 mg/L
Alcohol: 12,5%.

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.

Quite simply an invigorating Gamay. Fruity and spicy on the nose, silky on the palate with a mineral finish.

The oldest vines. 100% Gamay growing on grey and green shale with iron and quartz. 100% whole bunches. Some remontage during fermentation to extract structure. 12 months in concrete eggs, amphorae, and older barrels. No filtration. A darker, more structured wine.