Anjou Noir, Technical & Terroir-Driven

Justine Rivet and Romain Bourreau are not new to the Loire — they are products of it. Before founding Domaine des Myosotis, Justine and Romain honed their craft in two of the valley's most respected appellations: Muscadet, at the historic Bonnet-Huteau estate, and Saumur, working alongside the biodynamic pioneer Thierry Germain. [^6^] These experiences shaped a winemaking philosophy that is simultaneously technical and deeply respectful of the living vineyard. In 2021, they made the decisive move to Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay, in the so-called "Anjou noir" — the dark, schist-rich southern flank of the Anjou appellation, named for the black stone that underlies its best vineyards. [^1^] [^2^]

The 2022 vintage was their first. It was a statement of intent: a declaration that Anjou noir, with its schist and clay-limestone soils, its cooler microclimates buffered by forest, and its extraordinary affinity for Chenin Blanc, could produce wines of precision and character without resorting to the heavy-handed techniques that often dominate the region. The domaine's name, Myosotis — the forget-me-not flower — is a quiet nod to memory, place, and the idea that the best wines are those that make you remember where they came from. [^1^]

The vineyard is a patchwork of ages and exposures. Vines range from 5 to 55 years old, planted on slopes of schist and clay-limestone that lend a pronounced minerality to the wines. [^2^] The older parcels, surrounded by hedgerows and woodland, benefit from a natural biodiversity that reduces disease pressure and eliminates the need for chemical intervention. This is not a manicured estate; it is a working landscape where the boundaries between vineyard and wild are deliberately blurred. The result is fruit that arrives in the cellar with a sense of place already embedded in its DNA — the winemaker's job is not to impose character, but to reveal it.

The winemaking at Domaine des Myosotis is a study in precision within restraint. Grapes arrive in the cellar and undergo a vertical pressing — a gentler extraction method that preserves the delicate aromatic compounds of Chenin Blanc and avoids the harsh phenolics that can come from more aggressive mechanical pressing. [^2^] Fermentation is spontaneous, driven by indigenous yeasts that have colonised the vineyard and the cellar over years. There are no added enzymes, no commercial yeast strains, no tartaric acid adjustments — the wine is allowed to find its own path. [^1^]

The defining feature of the domaine's recent evolution is the shift, starting in 2024, to ageing exclusively in oak barrels. [^2^] This is a bold choice for a young domaine, and it reflects a confidence in the fruit's ability to withstand and benefit from wood contact. The barrels are a mix of 225L (traditional barrique), 300L, 400L, and 500L formats, each imparting a different ratio of oxygen to wine surface area. The larger formats — 400L and 500L — are particularly important for Chenin Blanc, as they slow down oxidation and preserve the variety's natural freshness while still contributing texture and micro-oxygenation. Wines are aged for 10 to 14 months, with soutirage (racking) and ouillage (topping up) performed during the winter months to maintain purity and prevent oxidation. [^2^]

Before bottling, the wines are "mise en masse" — blended from multiple barrels to achieve consistency and complexity. [^1^] They are neither filtered nor fined, meaning the final bottle contains the full spectrum of natural sediments and textures that developed during fermentation and ageing. A minimal amount of sulfur dioxide is added at bottling, just enough to ensure stability without compromising the wine's living, evolving character. [^1^] The result is a range of wines that are clean but not sterile, precise but not clinical — wines that taste of Anjou noir because every decision in the cellar was designed to amplify, not mask, the voice of the vineyard.