Clos des Brétèches

Mélanie Grenouilleau and Romain Nicolas founded Domaine Clos des Brétèches in 2021, based in the Anjou Noir terroirs. They produce deep, vibrant wines marked by schistose minerality. Their first vintages were an early and remarkable success. Mélanie, having worked at Ferme de la Sansonnière with the Angeli family, and Romain, currently in charge of the Terra Vita Vinum domaine cuvées, each bring valuable expertise to their joint project. The domaine started with just 1.2 hectares of Chenin Blanc from Domaine Deboutbertin, producing a total of 3,500 bottles. In 2022, they added new plots of Chenin Blanc and a small plot of Cabernet Sauvignon. The terroir of their vineyards is composed of spilites and rhyolites, volcanic rocks rich in silica, which contributes to the richness of their wines. Mélanie and Romain press the grapes as soon as they are harvested and let them age on their lees before bottling, without fining, filtration or additives. Their wines, dense and vertical, are distinguished by their purity, freshness and salinity. They are reminiscent of the wines of Richard Leroy, Thomas Batardière and many Jura wines, with their reductive, citric characters and aromas of yellow fruits such as quince.