Domaine aux Moines

Nestled on the steep slopes of the Loire, in Savennières, Domaine aux Moines is one of those places where wine seems to be born from an ancestral dialogue between the land and those who cultivate it. Its winegrowing history dates back to the XIIᵉ century, when the Cistercian monks of the Saint Nicolas d'Angers abbey cleared the schistose rock and planted the first vines on the"Roche aux Moines". These seminal works have shaped a unique terroir, now at the pinnacle of quality in the Savennières appellation.

Domaine aux Moines itself was founded in 1981 by Monique Laroche, joined in 2001 by her daughter Tessa. Now at the helm of this Loire jewel for several years, Tessa Laroche is the heiress to a tradition of quality and sustainability, and deploys her singular vision of Chenin, the Loire's emblematic grape variety, with rigor and sensitivity. The vineyard extends over 12 hectares around the estate, in the heart of the Savennières Roche aux Moines appellation, in a microclimate that allows Chenin to develop to its full potential. Planted on the hillside, the vines sink their roots into schist soils, sometimes mixed with sandstone, clay and rhyolite, giving the wines a sharp minerality and rare depth. The ideal South/South-West exposure , facing the river, favors slow, balanced ripening, the hallmark of a vibrant, taut, full-bodied Chenin expression.

Passionate and rigorous, Tessa Laroche has continued and refined the quality drive begun by her mother. She has been cultivating her vines using certified organic methods since 2011, with meticulous attention to soil and natural balance. Her approach is precise but not interventionist: every gesture in the plot and in the cellar is measured, and choices are never set in stone, but rather based on continuous observation and dialogue with the soil. The grapes are harvested exclusively by hand, with initial sorting in the vineyard. The same care is given to winemaking, which is exclusively natural, ageing on lees in old barrels or in vats, everything is done to reveal the intensity of the grape variety.

Domaine aux Moines is one of Savennières' finest references, on a par with Nicolas Joly and Château d'Épiré. Its wines, particularly the cuvée de Savennières Roche aux Moines, have won over the most discerning professional palates, such as Pascaline Lepeltier. This chiseled, strikingly vertical white wine blends the ripeness of yellow orchard fruit, the sweetness of dried flowers, noble bitters and resplendent salinity. A cuvée built for ageing, it has become emblematic of the demanding revival of Chenin from the Loire, evolving towards honeyed, smoky nuances of great complexity.

Alongside it, the cuvée Le Berceau des Fées, made from young vines, seduces with its immediate freshness, floral structure and brightness. More exclusive, the cuvée L'Ermite explores an even more refined dimension, with extended ageing and an airy density of substance. This is Tessa Laroche's way of taking the dialogue between Chenin and Savennières bluestone even further.

At Domaine aux Moines, the approach is clear: respect for the terroir, attention to every gesture, without ostentation, to let Chenin express its vertical, mineral and elegant richness.