Located in Saint-Melaine-sur-Aubance, in the wine-making region renowned as Anjou Noir, Domaine de Gaubourg has been supported since 2018 by Félix Célard, a former chef who has passionately converted to viticulture. This family-run domain spreads across six hectares of vines that are farmed organically, with parcels planted primarily with Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau and Grolleau Gris. The terroir, made up of dark schist veined with quartz and fine clay, gives these wines a clear mineral framework and wonderful tauntness.
Félix Célard grows his vines with great rigour as he works the soils without chemical inputs, hand-picks harvests, and is meticulous in his parcel selection. Notably, he does this through an approach where every action is aimed at preserving the authenticity of the fruit. In the cellar, fermentations take place spontaneously, followed by gentle extractions and aging in pre-used casks or demi-muids, in order to preserve the aromatic purity. The wines are neither fined nor filtered, with very moderate use of sulphur, or even none at all depending on the vintage.
Amongst the emblematic cuvées of the domain, we find Grand Pierre, a dry, taut and saline white Chenin from Anjou; Rosa, an IGP Val de Loire which is delicately fruity; and even Mon Garenne, a Grolleau cuvée vinified as a light red wine, ideal for fine dining. These wines are produced in micro-volumes of around 5,000 to 7,000 bottles per year in total, and allure winelovers with their frank, quaffable and precise character.
Domaine de Gaubourg is now establishing itself as a committed player in the Loire Valley's revival. Highly acclaimed at natural wine fairs such as La Dive Bouteille, it is also regularly showcased by specialist sales platforms like iDealwine. This is a valuable domain for lovers of natural, lively and deeply honest wines to keep a close eye on.
For lovers of the Loire Valley, with his signature wines and lively vintages, Félix Célard offers a modern and honest vision of the Anjou vineyards. A standout young winemaker that you won’t want to miss.