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) Anjou blanc

Geology – Grey-green schist, sometimes purple, volcanic rhyolites and green sandstone schist.

Grape variety – Fermented Chenin juice from a manual harvest.

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.

Winemaking – Fermentation and ageing on lees for 9 months

Analysis

Alcohol: 11.5% vol.
Residual sugars: 0,6 g/L

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 ‘Terre de 3’ name was created following the frost in 2017, which forced us to blend the little juice from 3 parcels to create a short-lived cuvée.
Following its success, we decided to preserve the spirit of this cuvée by blending several different terroirs and making it permanent.
The different schists and volcanic rock blend perfectly and stimulate the chenin to deliver a rich and complex nose, with a sapid palate.

A free interpretation of the original, mineral properties of the land. The mix of different soils of schist and volcanic rock deposits work perfectly together and give the Chenin a richer and more complex nose than you are used to from Chenin. A white that goes great with light meat dishes such as terrine, rillette or chicken breast. A lively and intense white that can carry many, many dishes.