Stephane Bernaudeau
A very small domaine located in Anjou, with just one grape variety and one wine from each plot. Stéphane Bernaudeau cultivates a handful of small vineyards around Martigné-Briand in the Loire region; all vineyards are planted with the Chenin Blanc variety and are cultivated using biodynamic farming methods. He does not blend his vineyards; instead, he bottles each plot separately. Some of the vines date back to 1910. Many of the vines are trained as bushes rather than tied to wire trellises, which slows down the work and results in lower yields.
Bernaudeau learned this method from his neighbor, La Ferme de la Sansonnière, and after working with Mark Angéli, he struck out on his own to establish his own winery. His first vintage was in 2000. Production is low, and the wines tend to be dry rather than sweet.
From forestry school to the Layon
Stéphane Bernaudeau grew up in Anjou Noir, right next to the Layon River, and completed his forestry studies in the late 1980s. The wine business was not part of his original plan. He landed a cash-paying job in nearby Ferme de la Sansonnière, where a newcomer named Mark Angéli had just arrived.
What he thought would be a temporary job eventually became his life's work. Bernaudeau became Angéli's right-hand man, though estimates vary as to exactly how long that period lasted, anywhere from 10 to nearly 20 years. Either way, it was enough time to observe how low yields and meticulous farming methods affected Anjou's dry Chenin wine.
There was another reason why his time at Sansonnière was significant. Tastings held there brought together Jo Pithon, Richard Leroy, Eric Calcutt, and René Mosse, a group known for their countercultural approach to growing and winemaking. Bernaudeau embraced this immediately and still enjoys blind tastings, particularly sessions where visitors bring their own wines to taste.
He began making his own wine in 2000, while still working at Angéli, and in December 2015, he left Sansonnière and began running his own domaine full-time.
Three hectares near Cornu
The total area of the vineyard owned by Bernaudeau is approximately 3 hectares, which is relatively small even by Loire's standards. His historic vineyards are located on gentle slopes at an elevation of 50 to 100 meters, near Cornu in the Martigné-Briand commune.
Each vineyard has its own unique characteristics:
- Les Nourrissons: A schist-based vineyard with 30 long rows of vines planted in 1910
- Les Terres Blanches: A small vineyard located upstream of Layon, planted with vines over 80 years old
- Les Onglés: A relatively cool vineyard on schist soil, added in 2014; it faces Les Nourrissons across Layon
Nourrissons and Terres Blanches use no wires at all. Since these vineyards are cultivated using the gobelet method, that is, in a bush-style configuration without trellises, mechanization is impossible, and all work is done by hand. Tillage is performed exclusively with horses, and the vineyards are cultivated using biodynamic farming methods.
Recently, Bernaudeau acquired two additional vineyards, Les Coqueries and La Possonnière, located in the Bonnezeaux area.
The terroir
Cornu is located at a geological boundary. The dark-colored schist zone (Anjou Noir) meets the light-colored limestone and clay zone (Anjou Blanc), and Bernaudeau's parcels straddle this boundary. As a result, within walking distance of one another, one parcel may have schist soil, while another may consist of calcareous soil, described in various ways, such as white clay or limestone.
Across the entire estate, the topsoil consists of weathered schist mixed with sand over a schist bedrock, with some plots containing gravel and clay.
The climate here is continental, influenced by the Atlantic, which has a dual effect. While this climate provides the long, gradual ripening required for the dry Chenin region, it also brings the risk of moisture and rot. Early detection of pourriture, a rot disease that spreads rapidly in the high humidity typical of Anjou, is of the utmost importance during Bernaudeau's growing season.
Chenin blanc
A single variety planted everywhere: Chenin Blanc. There are no red grapes and no other white grapes.
Chenin is a naturally high-yielding variety, while Anjou has historically been geared to producing sweet wines on a commercial scale, which in turn led to the adoption of chemical farming practices and high yields. Bernaudeau's approach is the exact opposite. He restricts yields to obtain concentrated, pure fruit, not merely ripe fruit. In his own words, taming this variety keeps him busy.
Wienmaking
At the 3-hectare vineyard, Bernaudeau employs 24 harvesters to carry out the harvest over a period of 6 days. The grapes are then sorted in two separate stages. Two sorting tables are set up at the edge of the vineyard, manned by eight workers, ensuring that only healthy grapes make their way to the winery.
This is the very essence of this method. Great wine is made in the vineyard, and the quality of the wine is determined by the harvest.
Every cuvée is parcellaire, produced from a single vineyard, and is bottled separately without blending with grapes from other vineyards. This also means there is no safety net in the event of a poor harvest. In 2016 and 2017, the entire harvest was lost. Bernaudeau's response was practical rather than philosophical. He purchased a mobile wind turbine, and they proved effective.
The wines
Stéphane Bernaudeau's range is rare and very sought after.
Les Nourrissons, produced from vines planted in 1910, is the most frequently mentioned name, though it is sometimes labeled as Vignes Centenaires. Les Terres Blanches is produced on white clay soil upstream from Layon, while Les Ongles is produced in the schist vineyards across the river.
The Bonnezeaux vineyard produces the domaine's newest wines, Les Coqueries and La Possonnière.
These wines still differ from the flavors most people expect from this part of the Loire. Because production volumes per cuvée are extremely low, it is rare to find the entire set in one place.
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly is the domaine?
In Martigné-Briand, in Maine-et-Loire, with the historical plots around the hamlet of Cornu, close to the Layon river in Anjou.
Are the wines sweet, like most Layon wines?
No. Bernaudeau's reputation rests on dry Chenin Blanc, which was an unusual ambition in Anjou when he started.
Is the domaine biodynamic?
The farming is biodynamic in practice, with horse ploughing and largely untrellised vines. Sources describe it as practising rather than pointing to a certification.
Why are the wines so hard to find?
Three hectares, deliberately low yields, and total crop losses in 2016 and 2017. There simply is not much wine.
