The domaine is situated outside Saumur, in the village of Beaulieu. Most of the vines are within walking distance of the cellar, on the slopes of Saumur (in the Hauts de Dampierre), some are a little further, between Dampierre and Souzay.

The terroir in Saumur is distinguished by the ubiquitous tuffeau, the soft, white limestone rock that was used to build the famous castles of the Loire Valley. The tuffeau’s distinctive characteristic is its ability to restore the water reserves to the vines’ roots, which are able to dig deep down due to the softness of the stone. As limestone has a basic PH, wines from vines anchored in this type of soil are characterised by a wonderful acidity.

Sebastien Bobinet and Emeline Calvez make natural wines from a number of small vineyards in Saumur (Loire). They work organically and look for a pure representation of the terroir, by making wines without any additives. Grapes, the yeasts that naturally occur in the vineyard and in the winery, and nothing else. 

The wines mature in a beautiful marl cave that has been in the family since the 17th century. The temperature in the cave is constant in winter and summer, the ideal conditions for aging the natural wines.

The “terroir” in natural wines is a concept that refers to a space, which develops a collective knowledge on the interactions between an identifiable physical and biological environment, and applied wine practices that confer distinctive characteristics to products originating to this space. The “terroir” includes characteristics specific to the soil, topography, climate, landscape and biodiversity.

Find out more about his farm here!