Les Maisons Rouges

Les Maisons Rouges

We first tasted Domaine Les Maisons Rouges at a wine fair in Saumur and were immediately captivated by the estate’s clean and elegant Chenin Blanc style, which we had never encountered before. It’s strange, really, because the estate isn’t a newcomer to the current natural wine movement—it’s actually one of the wineries that adopted natural winemaking practices very early on. Les Maisons Rouges was founded in 1994 by Élisabeth and Benoît Jardin in Jasnières, where they found affordable land with old vines on barren terroir. They produce powerful and focused Chenin Blanc and spicy, delicate Pineau d’Aunis, one of the region’s most exciting indigenous grape varieties.
Les Maisons Rouges
26 Route des Hautes Touches,
72340 Loir en Vallée, France

Winery Size: 9 Hektar
Elisabeth and Benoit’s estate has expanded to 9 hectares over the years; since 2002, all vineyards have been farmed organically, and the transition to biodynamic farming was completed in 2009. The grapes should be free of botrytis at harvest but, at the same time, exhibit a high degree of ripeness in order to produce concentrated and complex Chenin Blancs. All wines are aged in used wooden barrels—400-liter barrels for Chenin and used barriques for Pineau. Nothing is added or removed in the cellar; the only intervention is a small amount of sulfur, which is added before bottling.

The Revue du Vin de France writes that the Jasnières appellation is now on cloud nine, but in reality it has always been overshadowed by the better-known regions of the Loire. This may also have had to do with the region’s size, as the designated area spans just 5 km in length and 1 km in width. The soils are very diverse and interspersed with flint and limestone, though the lower-lying vineyards also contain a high proportion of clay. This diversity and complexity are also reflected in the region’s Chenin Blancs. Pineau d’Aunis is grown in the south, in the Coteaux du Loire on tuff and flint; while the climate here is somewhat drier and warmer, the variety nevertheless retains its elegance, freshness, and finesse thanks to the soils.
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