Chateaux du Breuil et de la Roche "Les Rochettes" Anjou Blanc, Loire Valley, France 2022

FROM DE MAISON:

THE WINE: The name 'Rochettes' comes from the original parcel in Anjou that inspired the blend of 80% chenin blanc, 10% chardonnay, 10% sauvignon blanc and gris. Les Rochettes is now the estate blend of white vineyards between the villages of Beaulieu-sur-Layon and Rochefort-sur-Loire. Vineyards are planted on green sandstone shale with red schist on a schisto-sandstone subsoil. Les Rochettes offers unbeatable value for a complex cuvée made entirely from Coteaux du Layon vineyards.

THE PRODUCER: In France’s majestic Loire Valley lies Châteaux du Breuil et de la Roche, situated on the right bank of the Layon river near the village of Beaulieu-sur-Layon, 20 minutes south of Angers. Built in 1822, Le Breuil’s vineyards are located on prime L’Anjou Noir vineyards: south-facing slopes of the Coteaux du Layon, resting on a bed of schist just above a seam of spilite that runs between the towns of Beaulieu-sur-Layon and Rochefort-sur-Loire. The winery also owns a prime vineyard across the Loire river, in the heart of Savennières.

The foundation of the winery lies in their superlative regenerative, certified-organic farming methods. The team has been working without the use of herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers since 2007, receiving their organic certification from Ecocert in 2015. The Breuil team also utilizes native hedges, trees, and low stone walls as natural windbreaks and as pathways for wildlife to enter the vineyards from the forest. The resulting soil health is remarkable—turning over the soil in the Breuil vineyard reveals a rich network of mycelia (fungal organisms), earthworms, insects, and native ground cover, such as wild onion, garlic, and clover, among many others.