OUR LOIRE VINEYARD

Plot in Loire

Owners: Éric and Alex Dubois (former Clos Cristal in Saumur), just 'a grape's throw' (A un jet de grappe) from our place.

In addition to their vineyards near Savennières of Domaine la Franchaie, where they make outstanding wines that are well worth seeking out, they took over at the end of 2020 an entire orchard located, still in Anjou, about thirty kilometers north of their home: 7 hectares of apple trees, quince trees, and vines planted with 5 hybrid grape varieties (Plantet-5455, Villard Noir, Chambourcin, "Monique" and Landot) that had not been declared at the time of planting as wine grapes, and as you probably know, in France it is strictly forbidden to vinify and market the fruit of a vine planted without planting rights. Therefore, they had the choice between making juice and/or vinegar (which the previous operators did), or grape seed oil for Burgundy fondues or whatever else,... 

Or sell the fresh grapes outside France so that it can be vinified. 

And we happened to be right there in the equation, when they found out all that, with the new cellar in Ottignies and our huge desire to get this (smuggled) grape into it.