Loire Valley

Coralie and Anthony Rassin are the ‘new kids on the block’ in the Montlouis appellation. Both natives of  the Western part of the Loire, a region well known for its Muscadet production, they were driven by a passion for Chenin Blanc, undoubtedly the Loire’s most fascinating and diverse grape variety. This ‘grande dame’ of grapes is capable of producing a remarkable range of styles of wine from bone-dry through to lusciously sweet, as well as still and sparkling.

Coralie and Anthony were not born into wine. The story of this understated and lovable couple started nearly three decades ago when their eyes met while sitting on the school benches. Coralie went on to study organic chemistry with a particular emphasis on the latest generation of solar panels and, armed with her PhD, she worked in Paris and Oxford. 

As for Anthony, he studied to become a history teacher. An accomplished chef, he enjoyed wine, and was passionate about the subject. At 25, the young wine aficionado chose to study the wine business before working for ten consecutive years for/with diverse wine companies in France and in the UK.

During these same years, Coralie was fascinated by her husband’s job and by the subject of wine. She became more and more interested and as a result, the enthusiastic young lady changed career. Anthony inspired her to study oenology.

They left the UK where they were both working at the time, and they settled in the south of France. Coralie was 29 when she joined Montpellier university and, after graduating with stellar results, she went to work at the illustrious Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné in the Rhône, before taking a position of chief winemaker at the distinguished estate of François Villard, also based in the Northern Rhône area. In the meantime, Anthony was in charge of sales for four consecutive years at Cave de Clairmont in Crozes Hermitage.

At this point, Coralie and Anthony knew that they wanted to continue to share their passion for wine and the desire to make their own wine grew within them. It was then Anthony’s turn to study viticulture and oenology, while Coralie was still working in the Rhône. He gained practical experience at the revered Domaine Gonon in Saint-Joseph.

Following their experiences, they wanted to be in charge of their own destiny, and they took up the challenge to run their own vineyard. The next step was therefore to find an estate where they could settle down. Although they had spent many years in the Rhône, they felt a strong pull to return to the Loire.

Early in 2016, the couple acquired Domaine Flamand Deletang, an estate located in the village of Saint Martin le Beau. Right away they renamed the estate. They felt that with no family ties with the previous owners it wasn’t legitimate to keep the name. However, with an interest in history, Coralie and Anthony decided on ‘Les Pierres Ecrites’. This was also the name of the emblematic cuvée of the former winemaker in homage to his own grandfather who had been an archeologist and author of numerous writings on North African rock paintings called “Les Pierres Ecrites”.

The domaine consists of eight hectares including five hectares in the appellation Montlouis sur Loire and the remainder in Touraine. The vines average 40 years of age and are planted on sloping ground. The terroir is composed of limestone clay, with silex and varying amounts of sand.

The Rassins practice organic farming and their yields average 35hl/ha. Grapes are hand picked and carried to the cellar in 20kg crates in order to preserve the quality of the grapes and juices. In the well-equipped cellar with stainless steel and oak vats, they adopt a gentle winemaking approach, respecting the potential of the grapes.

The wines of Les Pierres Ecrites show remarkable purity and finesse. Their mineral expression is striking, and they can already compete with the best of the Loire.


Profile © Françoise and Seán Gilley

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