Bois de Brincon Anjou Blanc Blaison 'Terre de Grès', 2015
Bois de Brincon Anjou Blanc Blaison 'Terre de Grès', 2015
The Terre de Grès of Château de Bois-Brinçon represents 1.5 hectares of chenin grown on chalky, tuffeau soils. With only 6,000 vines per hectare, yields are consistently small and harvests average 40 hectoliters per hectare. The grapes are picked by hand and rigorously sorted, whereby all botrytised grapes are eschewed. Whole bunches undergo a slow and gentle pressing (between 8 and 10 hours), after which native yeast fermentation occurs in neutral barrels. The wine is aged in neutral barrel receiving batonnage when necessary. The aromatic finesse of chenin is highlighted in the Terre de Grès, where its minerality and freshness gain complexity and intensify over time.
Producer's Profile
Géraldine and Xavier Cailleau
With roots stretching back over 800 years, Château de Bois Brinçon, located in the village of Blaison-Gohier, on the south shore of the Loire, is one of the oldest wine estates in Anjou. Belonging to the same family for 130 years, Xavier Cailleau and his wife Géraldine represent the fifth generation to farm the now 24-hectare vineyard. In fact, some of the vines are 125 years and older - some are the oldest recorded in the Anjou appellation: Chenin, Grolleau, Cabernet Franc.
In the 60s, 70s and 80s when the château was owned by Xavier’s grandfather and father, wine was no longer made at Bois-Brinçon. Instead, the grapes were sold to the local co-operative and a great part of the land was planted with apple and pear trees.
Xavier, Françoise Gilley’s first cousin, followed the path of his father and went to study arboriculture. However, he continued on studying viticulture and winemaking. Deep down, Cailleau wanted to reconnect Bois-Brinçon with its old tradition of winemaking. When returning to the château at the beginning of the 90s, Xavier and Géraldine’s sole objective became to make their own wines and to maximise the potential of their unique terroir. Xavier is the first to acknowledge that these were real challenging times. At the start, they adopted organic principles and then steadily evolved towards biodynamics (certified since 2013).
The couple has tremendous respect for their land, which is planted with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Grolleau, Pineau d’Aunis and Chenin Blanc, stretching over six communes. The terroirs are very diverse, including some composed of fossilised oyster shells.
Xavier and Géraldine Cailleau are meticulous, determined, uncompromising, open-minded, respectful of nature, and definitely committed. They are adamant about restoring the balance around their vineyards by plantings trees and hedges to increase biodiversity. They are very proud of their family of Highlands and they also work along with a sheep farmer, who brings his flock into the vineyards during the winter.
Château de Bois Brinçon’s wines get better and better with every passing vintage and currently offer most impressive quality. The purity, depth, charm, elegance, and vibrancy in the wines are the result of Xavier and Géraldine’s very soft and gentle approach to winemaking. It reflects their personalities. And the future is looking bright for Bois-Brinçon, as Léandre who represents the sixth generation, is studying winemaking in Bordeaux while also gaining experience at renowned domaines in France such as Domaine de La Pousse d’Or, and abroad.
