Chauvin family

France, Loire

The Loire region is a vast area along the Loire River in western France, and is known as a tourist destination with beautiful castles and abundant nature. It is characterized by a warm maritime climate and diverse soil, which allows a wide variety of grapes to be grown.

The Loire region is remarkable for its diversity as a wine-producing region. It produces a wide variety of wine styles, including white wine, red wine, rosé, sparkling wine, and sweet wine, with Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Franc being the most representative varieties. Due to its location close to Paris, it has long been a popular wine-producing region in Parisian bistros.

The Chauvin family's domain and vineyards

The Chauvin family estate is located in the Loire Valley, a region with a rich and varied landscape, centered around the Loire River, where ancient castles dot the banks and where beautiful forests are spread out.

Nearby towns include Angers (25km) and Saumur (40km), and many of the Loire castles and beautiful mansions are nearby.

The original vineyards which make up the present Domaine were purchased in 1860.

The first part of the current cellars, located in the heart of the village of Rabelais-sur-Layon, was built in 1910 and the domaine has been passed down within the Chauvin family to the present day, who manage the 15 hectares.

Chauvin says that despite the difficult task of winemaking, he approaches it with a passion for wine, grapes, the landscape and heritage (that has been passed down through his family) that produces them.

He says he is passionate about winemaking because it is a true job, creating something called wine all year round and in accordance with the seasons.

From the soil to the brewing, aging process and sales, winemaking involves a wide variety of tasks, and various choices must be made to produce the best possible product. And gradually, Chauvin and his team began to think about the option of going "organic."

Organic since : 2005 ( certified in 2008)

Chauvin and his team began asking themselves about their own grape cultivation and its impact on the environment in 2000. They first joined the Charter for Integrated Farming (similar to special cultivation in Japan). From there, they further developed their grape cultivation methods and decided to obtain official organic certification in 2005.

"This choice was made to be conscious of the impact of our activities on the environment and on health - it meant producing less polluting and in a healthier way. What's more, we noticed that this approach had an impact on the wines: within a few years the quality had improved - they had more character, refinement and personality.

Organic farming is nothing new; our grandparents practiced it without even realizing it. After an era of overly intensive and chemical-intensive agriculture, returning to more sustainable practices is finally the wise choice.

After several years of organic farming, it is no longer possible to imagine going back to the old ways. For us, producing high quality wine means doing it with respect for the plants and the land that produces it ."

They also say they are confident about the future development of organic farming.

"More and more producers in our region are starting to switch to organic farming or are considering doing so. For now, organic wines are still a minority in the overall wine production, but things are definitely moving in a positive direction."

・White grapes : Chenin Blanc

・Black grapes: Cabernet Franc, Grolleau, Gamay

Field soil

The average annual rainfall is 600mm, the climate is warm and mild on the Atlantic coast, and the scenery is made up of gently sloping hills and valleys.

The Domaine's soils are dry schist with a gravelly Tertiary soil surface and layers of sand, gravel or clay underground.

Characteristics of brewing method

In winemaking, we aim to produce our wines as healthily and naturally as possible, avoiding all additives in the winemaking process, except for a very small amount of SO2.

All of the wine is hand-picked, no yeast is added, and no clarification is performed.

Their goal is to create wines that have their own unique character and reflect as closely as possible the soil of the Domaine .

"I want to make artisanal wines, the polar opposite of all standardized wines."

This attention to detail is especially evident in the aroma of the wine.

"We try to make wines that are straightforward and have a lot of fruit. When you drink our wines you can taste the ripeness of the grapes."

Feelings for the community

"The Loire Valley, and Anjou in particular, is a region with a harmonious and peaceful landscape, a mild and pleasant climate, and a rich architectural and historical heritage.

Vine cultivation has been known in Anjou since the 6th century.

Chenin Blanc is a variety native to the Loire and was first cultivated in Anjou, specifically in our vineyards in the Coteaux du Layon region, in Rabelais-sur-Layon, where our Domaine is located."

They cherish the unique character of their region and hope that one day Anjou and its iconic Chenin grape variety will be recognised for its inherent value as a great white wine, on par with the titles reserved for Burgundy's finest Grands Crus.

From the producers to everyone in Japan

We put all our heart and soul into producing the wines of Anjou and the Coteaux du Layon, and we use all our know-how to do so.

We hope that these wines will please the taste buds of Japanese wine lovers and bring them much joy and a desire to discover more about the Loire!