Description
Domaine La Paonnerie is located on the northern bank of the the Loire River, between Anjou and Nantes. Although Jacques Carroget’s family has been making wine for generations, he and his wife Agnès chose to explore other winemaking regions before settling back down in the Loire. Together they travelled to many regions and estates, even ending up in Hungary for a few years making Tokaji. After their sojourn ended in the early 1990s, they returned to the La Paonnnerie and began converting the estate to organic viticulture, receiving certification in 1997.
Domaine La Paonnerie has now grown to 23ha of Melon de Bourgogne, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Gamay, all of which is farmed biodynamically. Jacques and Agnès always ferment the grapes with natural yeasts and most of the cuvées are made without sulphur, though the wines that are exported tend to see a very small amount at bottling.
Region: Loire, Coteaux d'Ancenis
Grape: Gamay
Vineyard Size: 6 hectares
Soil: clay, limestone, schist
Average Age of Vines: 30 years
Farming: biodynamic
Harvest: by hand
Winemaking: destemmed, 15 day maceration, spontaneous fermentation in neutral oak with indigenous yeasts
Aging: 8 months in neutral oak
Fining: none
Filtration: none
Added SO2: none
