Based in Anjou in the heart of the Loire Valley, Terra
Vita Vinum are producing some of the most remarkable
wines we can remember tasting.
Their single vineyard wines are fantastically focused, full of energy and life, often made with no additions of any kind. The decision not to use Sulphur is not an easy one- it requires hard work and laboratory-like levels of care in the winery, but when done well the resulting wines can be magnificently expressive and complex, whilst retaining purity of fruit. You won’t taste better than Terra Vita Vinum. The soils Luc and Bénédicte farm are a geologist’s (and oenophile’s) dream. Hugely complex, often volcanic in origin, they impart a unique character to the wines they produce. Tasting them together is fascinating, and really for me represents why wine is such an endlessly compelling and soulful pursuit. These single vineyard wines are the pinnacle of Bénédicte and Luc’s project. Now fully converted to biodynamic farming, each parcel is given maximum care to emphasise its subtle differences in character and style. In the winery each wine is aged in a specific combination of barrel, foudre, amphora and concrete egg, chosen to best show each site’s unique character. From the racy Grand Vau to the rich, silky Grand Rogeries, or the deep minerality of the Pavillon – each talks in its own distinctive voice, despite their common grape variety and their vineyards relative proximity. The domaine now consists of 40ha, only 30 of which are planted to vines. The other ten are used to grow wildflowers and other beneficial plants, the better to increase the domaine’s bio-diversity, which in turn will create healthier vineyards. This attitude isn’t a marketing ploy- it is at the heart of the project. Luc and Benedicte are devotees of Jules Guyot, a visionary who wrote in 1860 that “the genius of wine was in the vine”. Only by talking the best care of one’s vines can one expect to make the best wine. Everything at Terra Vita Vinum is done by hand, with care. Even down to using the smallest possible trays when picking grapes, to ensure no berries are squashed during transport – the attention to detail here is incredible. They are artisans in the best sense of the word, utterly devoted to their craft. Terra Vita Vinum are clearly destined for greatness.
To order simply email jack@robertrolls.com and let me know what you would like.
We are happy to split cases if you would like to try a mixed case.
Wines offered In Bond (IB), ex UK duty and VAT. Please ask for a full explanation if unsure about buying wines In Bond.
WHITES
Grand Vau Anjou Blanc 2021
£126.00/6 IB Available June 23
100% Chenin growing on silty clay over green sandstone schist and volcanic rhyolite. South facing plot. 14 months on its fine lees, in demi-muids, with no racking or movement. Bottled with no additions, fining or filtration. One can feel the sunny vineyard, but there’s that sense of lift and expressiveness from the volcanic soils, and this is beautifully balanced and full of energy.
Pavillon Anjou Blanc 2020
£222.00/6 IB Available June 23
The green schist soils here are closer to Savennières, but this vineyard is north facing and cooler. The 2020 spent 26 months in a combination of barrel, concrete egg, and amphora. Marvellously expressive wine, amazingly pure, bursting with energy, and a complex flavour profile with notes of fennel and orange.
Grands Rogeries Anjou Blanc 2019
£282.00/6 IB
Grands Rogeries Anjou Blanc 2020
£312.00/6 IB Available June 23
This is the very top of the Rogeries hill, their highest plot. There’s a thin layer of sandy silt but the old vines are rooted in volcanic rock. The 2019 was made with 14 months in French oak and Italian amphora and using a small amount of Sulphur so has yellow wax. The 2020 saw 26 months mostly in demi-muid and saw no additions, so has blue wax. Both are tremendous, really taut, and bursting with energy. The 2019 perhaps more focussed and classically ‘Anjou’, while the 2020 is fantastically expressive, otherworldly.
Bigottière Savennières 2020
£354.00/6 IB Available June 23
A vineyard across the river, south facing, at the top of the Côte des Forges, on green sandstone schist, sometimes with purple veins. Ageing for 26 months in demi-muid (73%), amphora (15%) and egg-concrete (12%). Bottled with no additions. A powerful structured wine which combines deep minerality with crystalline fruit and more delicate notes. Superb balance.
REDS
Chant de la Pierre Vin de France 2021
£132.00/6 IB Available June 23
100% Gamay from old vines. This is produced from a proportion of whole bunches. No pigeage or remontage during fermentation, a gentle, infusion based approach. Nine months maturation in concrete egg and older barrels. Bottled with no filtration. Not feather light, but it has a lovely expressive lightness of touch and fresh berry fruit.
Ronceray Gamay Vin de France 2021
£174.00/6 IB Available June 23
The oldest vines. 100% Gamay growing on grey and green shale with iron and quartz. 100% whole bunches. Some remontage during fermentation to extract structure. 12 months in concrete eggs, amphorae, and older barrels. No filtration. A darker, more structured wine.
Gabouchons Vin de France 2021
£264.00/6 IB Available June 23
100% Cabernet Franc growing on the classic Anjou Noir soil – black, green, and even purple Schist. Whole bunch maceration. 12 months in a mix of concrete eggs, amphorae and barrel. One of the finest Cab Francs I can remember tasting. No sense of greenness, the fruit is dark with really silky tannins and a sense of flowing energy on the palate. Really elegant and fine, with a long, mineral finish. The power is so well controlled. This should age for years.
