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Savennières

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Chenin Blanc

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Producers · 3

Pioneers and renewal

Domaine FL - Fournier Longchamps

  • Two estates united: Philippe Fournier built Domaine FL by bringing together two stories on opposite sides of the Loire: Chamboureau in Savennières and vines from the Jo Pithon estate in Anjou. His son Julien later took charge.
  • Four villages in one cuvée: The name ‘Les 4 Villages’ recalls this broader geography: the grapes for this Coteaux-du-Layon come from four villages around the cellar. The cuvée’s name refers to their combined origins, not a single plot.
Essential references

Domaine des Baumard

  • Savennières that unscrew: Florent Baumard chose screwcaps for his still wines, including Chenins intended for ageing. At the table, the gesture still surprises: a Savennières is unscrewed instead of reaching for the corkscrew.
  • Screwcaps for cellaring: Le Guide Hachette presents him as a pioneer of this closure and notes his wager on preservation. The choice also applies to ‘Clos de Saint-Yves’, a Savennières from the estate: the screwcap is therefore not reserved for a bottle to drink immediately.
Pioneers and renewal

Coulée de Serrant - Nicolas Joly et famille

  • The biodynamic pioneer: A former financier in New York and London, Nicolas Joly took over the family estate in 1977. Affected by the impact of herbicides, he drew inspiration from Rudolf Steiner: La Coulée was biodynamic from 1981 and the whole estate from 1984. He became a leading figure worldwide.
  • La Coulée de Serrant: A legendary 7-hectare vineyard whose planting the INAO dates to 1130, by Cistercian monks. The estate claims almost 900 consecutive harvests and recounts praise from Louis XI and Louis XIV.
  • An exceptional status: These seven hectares alone form AOC Coulée de Serrant, a monopole of the Joly family, just as AOC Romanée-Conti is a monopole. The estate also produces under Savennières and Savennières Roche aux Moines.
  • The Joly style: Chenin Blanc wines in which the estate seeks complexity, harvested very ripe and sometimes marked by botrytis. At La Coulée, the soils are worked partly by horse; vinification uses indigenous yeasts, without temperature control.