Vins de Loire et du Layon

The domaine

  • 7. THE TEAM

    Wine is a human invention. Without passionate women and men, no wines, no good wines.

    There are currently three teams working at the domain. A permanent one formed by four members. Concerned with the social dimension, since 2008 we also have a team from an ESAT (French Support and Work Assistance Establishment) ; Arceau Anjou. The last team is made by seasonal workers mainly harvesting and pricking first bud out for example.

    Working conditions are not the easiest. Our terroirs are hard to work (slopes, rocky soils) plus, we are in organic farming (peculiar work on soils), hand picking, ageing in barrels (fermentation and ageing in 228 liters containers). In our domain, the relation between employment and hectares is very different from the one to produce high volume of conventional wines.

    If the permanent team of the domain does not exceed ten people ; during harvests, the number can easily go over thirty men and women.

    Wine is a human invention. Without passionate women and men, no wines, no good wines.

    There are currently three teams working at the domain. A permanent one formed by four members. Concerned with the social dimension, since 2008 we also have a team from an ESAT (French Support and Work Assistance Establishment) ; Arceau Anjou. The last team is made by seasonal workers mainly harvesting and pricking first bud out for example.

    Working conditions are not the easiest. Our terroirs are hard to work (slopes, rocky soils) plus, we are in organic farming (peculiar work on soils), hand picking, ageing in barrels (fermentation and ageing in 228 liters containers). In our domain, the relation between employment and hectares is very different from the one to produce high volume of conventional wines.

    If the permanent team of the domain does not exceed ten people ; during harvests, the number can easily go over thirty men and women.

  • 6. AN HISTORY

    The original domain has been created by my great grand-fathers ; Maria Juby and Louis Juby, both angevins. At the beginning of the 20th century they inherited of vineyards at the Bruandières in Saint-Aubin de Luigné before coming in Ardenay (“wooded height” in Gaulish) a small town (in Chaudefonds-sur-Layon) on the right side of the Layon river. There, they decided to establish as winemakers in 1920.

    After a short passage in Paris and other jobs, I came back in Anjou in 1990 to rebuild a domain on the preexisting wine cellar but also with a few vines being in location and beautiful hills.
    The domain currently owns fourteen hectares of vineyards, 10 of chenin, 4 of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon ; all of them spreading over Chaudefonds-sur-Layon ; Saint-Aubin de Luigné, Rochefort-sur-Loire and Savennières.

    The whole domain started organic farming in 2002. Any parcel being non-organic would immediately be converted. Since 1997 we care even more about working carefully our soils ; we also dropped chemical weedkiller. Since 2001 we’ve stopped using artificial treatment.

    Now if we focus on the cellar ; since 1994 not a single wine has been chaptalized, avoiding adding external components and restricting the Sulphur dose.

    We produce dry white wines, semi dry, exclusively with chenin. Besides we also produce Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru, Coteaux-du-Layon -spirituous wines- ; in small quantities and exclusively obtained with natural concentration. Our red Anjou are made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

    Since March 2008 I’ve decided to go into partnership to consolidate and help the domain to perpetuate. This partner is Union Harmonie Mutualité ; helping me to go even further into quality vine-growing ; strength of the terroir’s expression, fruit pleasure, organic and sustainable farming… Concerned with the social dimension of the domain we also have a collaboration with Arceau Anjou ESAT (read more about it).

    The original domain has been created by my great grand-fathers ; Maria Juby and Louis Juby, both angevins. At the beginning of the 20th century they inherited of vineyards at the Bruandières in Saint-Aubin de Luigné before coming in Ardenay (“wooded height” in Gaulish) a small town (in Chaudefonds-sur-Layon) on the right side of the Layon river. There, they decided to establish as winemakers in 1920.

    After a short passage in Paris and other jobs, I came back in Anjou in 1990 to rebuild a domain on the preexisting wine cellar but also with a few vines being in location and beautiful hills.
    The domain currently owns fourteen hectares of vineyards, 10 of chenin, 4 of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon ; all of them spreading over Chaudefonds-sur-Layon ; Saint-Aubin de Luigné, Rochefort-sur-Loire and Savennières.

    The whole domain started organic farming in 2002. Any parcel being non-organic would immediately be converted. Since 1997 we care even more about working carefully our soils ; we also dropped chemical weedkiller. Since 2001 we’ve stopped using artificial treatment.

    Now if we focus on the cellar ; since 1994 not a single wine has been chaptalized, avoiding adding external components and restricting the Sulphur dose.

    We produce dry white wines, semi dry, exclusively with chenin. Besides we also produce Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru, Coteaux-du-Layon -spirituous wines- ; in small quantities and exclusively obtained with natural concentration. Our red Anjou are made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

    Since March 2008 I’ve decided to go into partnership to consolidate and help the domain to perpetuate. This partner is Union Harmonie Mutualité ; helping me to go even further into quality vine-growing ; strength of the terroir’s expression, fruit pleasure, organic and sustainable farming… Concerned with the social dimension of the domain we also have a collaboration with Arceau Anjou ESAT (read more about it).

  • 5. OUR TERROIRS

    The domaine currently owns fourteen hectares of vineyards, spread all over the “Anjou noir” terroir and its schists.

    We produce red wines with the Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon grape varieties on four hectares. We also work with the emblematic grape variety of Anjou -the chenin- upon ten hectares, from Savennières to Quarts de Chaume, from dry white wines to Coteaux-du-Layon sweet ones.

    Our parcels are in the following towns ; Chaudefonds-sur-Layon, Saint-Aubin de Luigné, Rocherfort-sur-Loire, Savennières.

    Under the following map you can access to a more complete description of our lands and grape varieties.
    Don’t forget to click full screen under the map.

    Full screen

    Otherwise you can click here to have an overview of a Google Earth map which will provide you further details. (After having clicked up here you’ll have to click on the arrow on the right corner ; then you will open the downloaded file with Google Earth – you need to have Google Earth ; free downloading here).


    Schist bedrocks, volcanic soils, sandstone, quartz, carboniferous ground, sedimented volcanic ashes, thin soils, silty rather than clay ones… We are at the extreme East of the Armorican Mountain range. The “Coteaux-du-Layon” hills were created by a rift starting in Britain and passing by the Layon. This rift is still moving from time to time. The hills peaking at 80 meters were formed at the North of the rift. The Layon Valley gives form to either a L or a V, according to the locations, rocky and South-East/North-West oriented.

    Savennières’ vines, overhanging the right side of the Loire (10km away from the Layon Valley) lays on the same bedrock. Chenin eventually spreads its kingdom there too.

    Our terroirs : an amazing wealth and diversity

    A paradise for geologists ; in fifty meters you can travel across hundreds of million years, a true time machine. The Domaine’s plots of land rests upon three geological periods.

    • The Carboniferous period (Paleozoic – from 360 to 300 million years ago) mainly remarkable in Les touches, Les Bruandières, Sous-les-Moulins, Les Zersilles.
    • The Saint-George area (Paleozoic – from 480 to 360 million years ago) observable in Savennières (Bellevue) and La Fresnaye.
    • Precambrian/Brioverian (550 million years ago) in Le Cormier au Chat, Le Cornillard, Les Saulais or even in Les Gâts.

      The main facies of our soils are made of purple schist (Bellevue), sandstone schists or conglomerate concerning the Carboniferous while the Brioverian is more about (friable) meta-greywackes.
      Speaking about wine-making environment ; mineral alteration (20%) and rocky one (60%) are prevailing ; which happens to be perfect for the chenin. Rocky environment has a superficial soil (<60cm) and lays on a well identified geological substrate while mineral alteration environment includes soils being moderately deep (70-110cm) made of the bedrocks laying below it.

      The Layon Valley being protected at the south by a mountainous area (220m), experiences a low pluviometry (under 600mm on 30 years). Yet its proximity with the Atlantic Ocean and its opening towards the West are decisive. Moreover, the hills (coteaux) are between two rivers, the Loire and the Layon. All these factors create the perfect conditions for the expression of the botrytis. This fungus (source of the noble rot) is in our vineyards every year, always as seducing as risky.

    Chenin & “Black Anjou”
     Chenin is THE true grape variety of Anjou. Its origins are still unclear though it would be related with the Savagnin. Because being rustic the chenin is aromatically uninteresting when not pampered. Its interest here in the Loire is to offer a great maturity. Now if the chenin is well taken care of ; with correct yields and good harvesting, then it appears to be a great terroir indicator and it can also enhance its terroir with the noble rot. This is the chenin’s paradox. This “oaf” requires a huge attention to reveal its delicacy. It can express itself in so many ways, dry, sweet, sparkling or even spirituous.
    To learn more about the chenin : http://www.musee-vigne-vin-anjou.fr... extract from a conference held in 2015.

     Dry Anjou Blanc & sweet Coteaux du Layon.
     At the beginning of the 20th century, the region endangered the chenin and its wines. Indeed it was common that men would force the nature by using unnatural ways to obtain sweet or spirituous vintages. Consequently Layon’s were non-natural and dry were of no interest.
    The return of natural sweet wines goes along with the revival of quality dry wines marked by their terroirs. According to a multitude of factors such as the vintage, the parcel, the winemaker, a whole new palette of white Anjou is emerging. Our wines have nothing to envy from ones from other regions.

    Cabernet Franc & Cabernet Sauvignon
     The dates of the birth of the Cabernet in Anjou are not set yet. XIth century (according to the Ronceray Abbey) or XVIIth century (if we rather trust Breton ; Richelieu’s abbot and intendant).
    We can be sure of one thing though ; in Anjou Noir it was later on, only in the 1960’s in our domain and to produce rosé at first (in our domain we have chenin since 1924). Red wines used to come from “Pineau d’Aunis” & “Grolleau”. Those red wines were reserved for personal consumption of the domain at first and were not commercialized.

    Here the Cabernets are to their North limit. On our schists, they can offer great wine of terroir with a great potential of ageing as long as the yields are measured and the wines slowly and carefully vinified. This way they will reveal all the great characteristics of structure and freshness of our soils.

    The domaine currently owns fourteen hectares of vineyards, spread all over the “Anjou noir” terroir and its schists.

    We produce red wines with the Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon grape varieties on four hectares. We also work with the emblematic grape variety of Anjou -the chenin- upon ten hectares, from Savennières to Quarts de Chaume, from dry white wines to Coteaux-du-Layon sweet ones.

    Our parcels are in the following towns ; Chaudefonds-sur-Layon, Saint-Aubin de Luigné, Rocherfort-sur-Loire, Savennières.

    Under the following map you can access to a more complete description of our lands and grape varieties.
    Don’t forget to click full screen under the map.

    Full screen

    Otherwise you can click here to have an overview of a Google Earth map which will provide you further details. (After having clicked up here you’ll have to click on the arrow on the right corner ; then you will open the downloaded file with Google Earth – you need to have Google Earth ; free downloading here).


    Schist bedrocks, volcanic soils, sandstone, quartz, carboniferous ground, sedimented volcanic ashes, thin soils, silty rather than clay ones… We are at the extreme East of the Armorican Mountain range. The “Coteaux-du-Layon” hills were created by a rift starting in Britain and passing by the Layon. This rift is still moving from time to time. The hills peaking at 80 meters were formed at the North of the rift. The Layon Valley gives form to either a L or a V, according to the locations, rocky and South-East/North-West oriented.

    Savennières’ vines, overhanging the right side of the Loire (10km away from the Layon Valley) lays on the same bedrock. Chenin eventually spreads its kingdom there too.

    Our terroirs : an amazing wealth and diversity

    A paradise for geologists ; in fifty meters you can travel across hundreds of million years, a true time machine. The Domaine’s plots of land rests upon three geological periods.

    • The Carboniferous period (Paleozoic – from 360 to 300 million years ago) mainly remarkable in Les touches, Les Bruandières, Sous-les-Moulins, Les Zersilles.
    • The Saint-George area (Paleozoic – from 480 to 360 million years ago) observable in Savennières (Bellevue) and La Fresnaye.
    • Precambrian/Brioverian (550 million years ago) in Le Cormier au Chat, Le Cornillard, Les Saulais or even in Les Gâts.

      The main facies of our soils are made of purple schist (Bellevue), sandstone schists or conglomerate concerning the Carboniferous while the Brioverian is more about (friable) meta-greywackes.
      Speaking about wine-making environment ; mineral alteration (20%) and rocky one (60%) are prevailing ; which happens to be perfect for the chenin. Rocky environment has a superficial soil (<60cm) and lays on a well identified geological substrate while mineral alteration environment includes soils being moderately deep (70-110cm) made of the bedrocks laying below it.

      The Layon Valley being protected at the south by a mountainous area (220m), experiences a low pluviometry (under 600mm on 30 years). Yet its proximity with the Atlantic Ocean and its opening towards the West are decisive. Moreover, the hills (coteaux) are between two rivers, the Loire and the Layon. All these factors create the perfect conditions for the expression of the botrytis. This fungus (source of the noble rot) is in our vineyards every year, always as seducing as risky.

    Chenin & “Black Anjou”
     Chenin is THE true grape variety of Anjou. Its origins are still unclear though it would be related with the Savagnin. Because being rustic the chenin is aromatically uninteresting when not pampered. Its interest here in the Loire is to offer a great maturity. Now if the chenin is well taken care of ; with correct yields and good harvesting, then it appears to be a great terroir indicator and it can also enhance its terroir with the noble rot. This is the chenin’s paradox. This “oaf” requires a huge attention to reveal its delicacy. It can express itself in so many ways, dry, sweet, sparkling or even spirituous.
    To learn more about the chenin : http://www.musee-vigne-vin-anjou.fr... extract from a conference held in 2015.

     Dry Anjou Blanc & sweet Coteaux du Layon.
     At the beginning of the 20th century, the region endangered the chenin and its wines. Indeed it was common that men would force the nature by using unnatural ways to obtain sweet or spirituous vintages. Consequently Layon’s were non-natural and dry were of no interest.
    The return of natural sweet wines goes along with the revival of quality dry wines marked by their terroirs. According to a multitude of factors such as the vintage, the parcel, the winemaker, a whole new palette of white Anjou is emerging. Our wines have nothing to envy from ones from other regions.

    Cabernet Franc & Cabernet Sauvignon
     The dates of the birth of the Cabernet in Anjou are not set yet. XIth century (according to the Ronceray Abbey) or XVIIth century (if we rather trust Breton ; Richelieu’s abbot and intendant).
    We can be sure of one thing though ; in Anjou Noir it was later on, only in the 1960’s in our domain and to produce rosé at first (in our domain we have chenin since 1924). Red wines used to come from “Pineau d’Aunis” & “Grolleau”. Those red wines were reserved for personal consumption of the domain at first and were not commercialized.

    Here the Cabernets are to their North limit. On our schists, they can offer great wine of terroir with a great potential of ageing as long as the yields are measured and the wines slowly and carefully vinified. This way they will reveal all the great characteristics of structure and freshness of our soils.

  • 2. PRINCE, AN OUTSTANDING SITE

    The estate is at the foot of the beautiful cirque of the Coteaux de Princé.

    This place is protected, being a part of the Corniche Angevine listed site – which is said to form a monumental and emblematic place in Anjou.


    The cellar constructed in 1910 possesses a nice, harmonious and functional architecture.
    A program to refurbish the whole domain has been undertaken ; the roofs have been repaired, so were the cellar’s frame. All this was made along with the idea to keep the spirit of the place. To do so, we reused original slates and metal hinges.

    Following an eco-construction goal, this renovation is to integrate with the surroundings ; insulations, wood wool, earth-to-air heat exchanger, rainwater collection, pumice concrete solid blocks, half buried stock.


    The house originally built in 1870 was renovated a few years ago, keeping the original soul of the location. A great room is reserved for your visits and tastings.

    During Spring 2011 we’ve planted 0.6 hectare of chenin in Princé. Those were our first steps in winning back this old renowned wine making site. In 2016 we’ve pursued this project by clearing the hill so we were able to plant it in April 2017.

    The estate is at the foot of the beautiful cirque of the Coteaux de Princé.

    This place is protected, being a part of the Corniche Angevine listed site – which is said to form a monumental and emblematic place in Anjou.


    The cellar constructed in 1910 possesses a nice, harmonious and functional architecture.
    A program to refurbish the whole domain has been undertaken ; the roofs have been repaired, so were the cellar’s frame. All this was made along with the idea to keep the spirit of the place. To do so, we reused original slates and metal hinges.

    Following an eco-construction goal, this renovation is to integrate with the surroundings ; insulations, wood wool, earth-to-air heat exchanger, rainwater collection, pumice concrete solid blocks, half buried stock.


    The house originally built in 1870 was renovated a few years ago, keeping the original soul of the location. A great room is reserved for your visits and tastings.

    During Spring 2011 we’ve planted 0.6 hectare of chenin in Princé. Those were our first steps in winning back this old renowned wine making site. In 2016 we’ve pursued this project by clearing the hill so we were able to plant it in April 2017.

  • 1. IN A FEW WORDS

    Thirteen hectares of vineyards on the beautiful lands of « Black Anjou » ; on schists, sandstones and volcanic rocks.
    From Savennières to Quarts de Chaume, red Anjou Cabernet to dry white Anjou and sweet Coteaux-du-Layon with Chenin, all of them are organic wines.
    In the cellar, we are working to give birth to wines not to make them. Slow fermentations in barrels, no yeasting, nor chaptalization, little sulphites. We are giving you wines marked by their terroirs. These wines may relate to you the story of their birth through your glass. All of our wines are offering numerous possibilities of expression and nice ageing potential.


    This desire to seek the best expression of the terroir and our wish for organic farming requires a lot of work. We are currently employing one person per two hectares – this data should be an important fact concerning the right for the acquisition of the PDO certification.


    This terroir required level was also confirmed when we’ve bought one hectare of Quarts de Chaume in 2008 along with the plantation of another hectare in Savennières a year later. However, we refused to wait for the Savennières parcels’ maturity so we’ve decided to create a “trade society” in 2008 called “Patrick Baudouin Vins”. From 2008 to 2014 this society has purchased excellent quality grapes from Savennières (in organic farming) before the domain harvested and vinified them. Since 2015 our Savennières are the result of our own vines and not of purchased grapes anymore.

    Thirteen hectares of vineyards on the beautiful lands of « Black Anjou » ; on schists, sandstones and volcanic rocks.
    From Savennières to Quarts de Chaume, red Anjou Cabernet to dry white Anjou and sweet Coteaux-du-Layon with Chenin, all of them are organic wines.
    In the cellar, we are working to give birth to wines not to make them. Slow fermentations in barrels, no yeasting, nor chaptalization, little sulphites. We are giving you wines marked by their terroirs. These wines may relate to you the story of their birth through your glass. All of our wines are offering numerous possibilities of expression and nice ageing potential.


    This desire to seek the best expression of the terroir and our wish for organic farming requires a lot of work. We are currently employing one person per two hectares – this data should be an important fact concerning the right for the acquisition of the PDO certification.


    This terroir required level was also confirmed when we’ve bought one hectare of Quarts de Chaume in 2008 along with the plantation of another hectare in Savennières a year later. However, we refused to wait for the Savennières parcels’ maturity so we’ve decided to create a “trade society” in 2008 called “Patrick Baudouin Vins”. From 2008 to 2014 this society has purchased excellent quality grapes from Savennières (in organic farming) before the domain harvested and vinified them. Since 2015 our Savennières are the result of our own vines and not of purchased grapes anymore.
 

Domaine Patrick BAUDOUIN - Princé - 49290 CHAUDEFONDS-SUR-LAYON
FRANCE - Tél./Fax : +33 (0)2 41 74 95 03


"l'abus d'alcool est dangereux pour la santé" (article L.3323-4 du code de la santé publique)
"C'est la pénicilline qui guérit les hommes, mais c'est le bon vin qui les rend heureux". (Alexander Fleming)