The Soul of Cheverny, Alive and Unmasked
Domaine Villemade is one of the Loire Valley's most significant natural wine estates — a 22-hectare property founded by Hervé Villemade in 1995 in Cellettes, at the heart of the Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny appellations. What began as a conventional family farm — 8.5 hectares inherited from his father, farmed with herbicides, fungicides, and lab yeasts — was transformed by a single transformative encounter. After tasting wines by Marcel Lapierre and Thierry Puzelat, Hervé's eyes were opened. He produced his first sulfur-free cuvée in 1997, converted entirely to organic farming by 2000, and has never looked back. Today, he farms 22 hectares across Cellettes, Chitenay, and Fougères-sur-Bièvre with his sister Isabelle, cultivating a remarkable array of local varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Menu Pineau, Chenin Blanc, the unique Romorantin, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Côt, and Pineau d'Aunis. In the cellar, he works with native yeasts, a panoply of vessels — concrete tanks, foudres, tronconic vats, neutral barriques, amphorae, and even buried Georgian qvevri — and minimal sulfur. The result is wines of astonishing precision, drinkability, and terroir expression: the closest, as one importer puts it, to what these wines would have tasted like if they were made here 50 years ago. And if you visit, there's a strong chance Hervé will serve you marc from demi-john — and then start a dance party.
From Convention to Conversion
The Hervé Villemade story begins in Cellettes, a small town in the Loire Valley just 90 minutes from Paris, where his family has roots going back multiple generations. In 1995, Hervé inherited 8.5 hectares from his father — a mixed agricultural farmer — and began making wine the way his parents had: conventionally, with herbicides, fungicides, lab yeasts, and additives. It was solid, traditional work, but it was not his destiny.
The turning point came by chance. Thierry Puzelat of Clos du Tue-Boeuf — who would become one of the Loire's pioneers in natural winemaking — had returned from his travels just six months earlier. The two met, got along well, and Thierry introduced Hervé to the pathbreaking natural winemakers of the era: Marcel Lapierre and the gang from Beaujolais, Mark Angeli, Domaine Gramenon. The exposure to their wines — alive, honest, terroir-driven — ignited something in Hervé. He immediately began experimenting with zero-sulfur winemaking, but quickly realized that to do this successfully, he would need higher quality fruit. This realization led him to begin the arduous task of converting the entire estate to organic farming starting in 2000 — the same year his sister Isabelle joined him — ultimately shaping the domaine as we know it today.
The transition was not without its challenges. Converting from conventional to organic farming in the Loire's variable climate required patience, determination, and significant investment. Frost became Hervé's chief concern — it was frost losses that impelled him, in 2002, to partner with sommelier-turned-winemaker Olivier Lemasson to found Les Vins Contés, a négoçiant business. The pair parted ways in 2006, and Hervé founded his own négoçiant company in 2008, which he continues to this day. Not all purchased fruit carries organic certification, although he emphasises that all grapes are farmed organically.
Today, Domaine Villemade extends over 22 hectares across three communes — Cellettes, Chitenay, and Fougères-sur-Bièvre — with an additional négoçiant operation that allows Hervé to create cuvées and partnerships with other winegrowers. The estate is a testament to what can be achieved when a curious mind meets a passionate heart, and when the influence of great natural winemakers ripples outward to transform an entire region.
"Hervé immediately began experimenting with zero-sulfur winemaking, but quickly realized that in order to do this, he would need higher quality fruit. This realization lead him to begin the arduous task of converting the entirely to organic farming starting in 2000 and ultimately shaping the domaine as we know it today."
— Selection Massale
Sandy-Flint, Clayey-Flint & Limestone — Organic by Conviction
Domaine Villemade's vineyards are spread across three communes in the Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny appellations, with soils that divide roughly between sandy-flint and clayey-flint over a limestone base. This is the classic Touraine terroir — poor, well-drained, and mineral-rich — that gives the wines their distinctive freshness, structure, and ability to age gracefully.
The original 8.5 hectares inherited from Hervé's father have been expanded to 22 hectares through purchases and rentals. The vines are planted to a bounteous local grape mix that reflects the unique viticultural heritage of Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Menu Pineau, Chenin Blanc, Romorantin, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Côt (Malbec), and Pineau d'Aunis. The Romorantin grape is unique to the Cour-Cheverny appellation — it is the only grape allowed by AOC law there — and is known for its unflagging minerality and ability to thrive under oxidative ageing conditions.
Farming is organic and certified, with Hervé doing most of the vineyard work on his own. Vines are spaced relatively wide at two metres, and even wider for the older vines that comprise the historical heart of the estate — a legacy of the polyculture farming his parents practiced, where one tractor had to fit in both the grains and the vines. His chief concern has always been minimizing frost risk, leading to the installation of large, expensive frost fans and the strategic acquisition of vineyards in Fougères-sur-Bièvre in 2009 — a zone that rarely frosts.
The vineyards in Fougères-sur-Bièvre came with challenges — "It was just very wide-spaced vines with 50% missing," Hervé recalls. He kept the one hectare that was planted correctly and uprooted the rest, replanting it to Sauvignon, Menu Pineau, and a small amount of Pinot Noir. By late 2019, he had just about finished the replanting. This is a winemaker who thinks long-term, who plans for decades rather than seasons.
Cellettes, Chitenay, and Fougères-sur-Bièvre. Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny appellations. Sandy-flint and clayey-flint soils over limestone. The full breadth of Touraine terroir in every bottle.
The only grape allowed in Cour-Cheverny AOC. Known for unflagging minerality. Thrives under oxidative ageing. Nearly 60-year-old vines for "Les Acacias." A grape that relishes time and patience.
Converted to organic farming starting 2000. Certified organic. Most vineyard work done by Hervé himself. Wide vine spacing from polyculture heritage. Frost fans for protection. Strategic acquisitions for climate resilience.
Founded Les Vins Contés with Olivier Lemasson in 2002. Own négoçiant company since 2008. Partnerships with other winegrowers. Cuvées created from purchased organic grapes. Flexibility in difficult vintages.
Native Yeasts, Amphora, Qvevri & Minimal Sulfur
At Domaine Villemade, the cellar philosophy is one of gentle experimentation and deep respect for tradition. Hervé works with native yeasts for all fermentations, and his élevage is done in a remarkable range of vessels — concrete tanks, foudres, tronconic vats, neutral barriques, amphorae in sandstone and clay, and even two buried Georgian qvevri. Very little sulfur is used, if any, depending on the cuvée. The result is wines that are stunning examples of classic, natural Loire wines — alive, precise, and utterly drinkable.
The techniques are precise and evolving:
Harvest: All grapes are hand-harvested and carefully sorted. Selection begins in the vineyard and continues at the cellar door. Only perfectly healthy, ripe fruit enters the fermentation vessels.
Vinification: Indigenous yeasts only. No commercial strains, no enzymes. Fermentation proceeds naturally, reflecting the vintage, the site, and the season. In recent years, Hervé has experimented with skin maceration for whites — inspired by the difficult fermentations of 2018, when many winemakers struggled to coax direct-press whites to dryness. His 2019 "La Bodice," for example, is composed of half direct-press juice and half juice that macerated, destemmed, for forty-eight hours.
Ageing: Wines are aged in a diverse array of vessels — concrete tanks for freshness, foudres for complexity, 500L barrels for structure, tronconic vats for purity, amphorae for richness and roundness, and qvevri for depth and earthiness. Hervé is fascinated by the differences each vessel imparts: "When the wines settle a bit, there are truly differences in taste among the ageing containers, as much in white as in red. There are phases when it tastes good in barrel, then others when it tastes better in foudre or in amphora. It's super interesting."
Bottling: Minimal filtration, minimal sulfur. The wines are bottled as they are — alive, evolving, and honest. This requires impeccable hygiene and healthy fruit. The result is wines that may show a slight haze or sediment — signs of life, not flaws.
The portfolio is extensive — a range of classic, natural wines that span sparkling, white, rosé, and red, each expressing a different facet of Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny:
"Bulles" & "Bulles Rosé": Pét-nat sparkling wines — the white a blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Menu Pineau with a full year of élevage on lees; the rosé a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir. Pretty fruit, mineral components, and irresistible fizz.
"Cheverny Blanc": The classic blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc required by AOC law. Aged in foudre, it yields a crisp, grassy wine that is quite complex — a benchmark for the appellation.
"La Bodice": The more serious Cheverny Blanc. Also Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, but aged in a combination of 500L barrels (some new), amphora, and neutral foudre. Much more structured and dense, with oxidative umami qualities that are compulsive and compelling.
"Montcrochet": A new Cheverny Blanc from three terroirs — sand/flint, clay/flint silex, and silt. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc that showcases the breadth of the estate's soils.
"Les Saules": Entry-level Cour-Cheverny — 100% Romorantin, the only grape allowed in this AOC. Vines planted in clay and silex soils over limestone. Fermented in tronconic vat, aged in concrete egg. More forward in its youth.
"Les Acacias": The jewel of the production. Cour-Cheverny from 35–60 year old Romorantin vines on sandy-flint soil, bordered by lovely large acacia trees. Fermented and aged in a combination of neutral barrels of different sizes. Deliberately oxidised to bring out the best qualities of the grape — salted almond, delicate white honey, and unusual potency. A full two years ageing in barrel.
"Les Châtaigniers": Romorantin from a single parcel planted in 2008. Soils are a mixture of sand and flint. Fermented and aged in amphora, resulting in a more rich, round, and spicy wine. Quite age-worthy.
"Les Souchettes": Menu Pineau — a rare local grape, also known as Orbois, once the most widespread variety in Vouvray. Electric acidity and deep minerality. Partially replanted in 2015 with massale selections from old parcels.
"Orbois": Another expression of Menu Pineau, showcasing the grape's classic white wine character — perfect with chicken, charcuterie, or oysters.
"Cheverny Rouge": Gamay and Pinot Noir made entirely in concrete tank. Juicy, bright, but with enough earthiness to balance everything out.
"Les Ardilles": Mostly Pinot Noir with the rest Gamay, sourced from a single parcel of old vines planted in clay over limestone. Three-week maceration, fermented in concrete tank, aged in a combination of amphora and neutral barriques. Very low SO2. Hervé calls this his "Nuits-Saint-Georges in Cellettes" — elegant, mineral, intense.
"Désiré": Hervé's most important red cuvée. 100% Pinot Noir, destemmed and put directly into amphora for six months. Pressed off the skins into smaller amphora for another three months before bottling. Minimal sulfur additions if necessary, sometimes none at all. Elegant, deep, structured, and beautifully age-worthy.
"Pivoine": 100% Côt (Malbec) made in a combination of neutral barrels and amphora. A no-sulfur cuvée that showcases the power and darkness of this Loire red.
"Cheverny Rosé": A lip-smacking blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir. Bright rosy hue, vivid fruit, simple, fresh, and delicious.
"Bovin Rouge" & "Bovin Blanc": Négoçiant wines in convenient 1-litre bottles. The red is 100% certified organic Gamay with minimal extraction — light, gulpable, bottled with zero sulfur. The white is mainly Sauvignon Blanc — "frais et gouleyant, à boire d'une traite" (fresh and should be drunk in one go).
"Les Acacias" — "Salted Almond, White Honey, and Unusual Potency"
The "Les Acacias" is Domaine Villemade's most distinctive white cuvée — a Cour-Cheverny from 35–60 year old Romorantin vines that demonstrates what happens when ancient vines, sandy-flint soils, oxidative ageing, and minimal-intervention philosophy converge in a single bottle.
The grapes are hand-harvested from the estate's oldest Romorantin parcel, bordered by lovely large acacia trees that give the wine its name. The vines are planted in sandy-flint soil over limestone — poor, well-drained, and mineral-rich. Fermentation is with indigenous yeasts, and the wine is aged in a combination of neutral barrels of different sizes for a full two years. Hervé deliberately allows oxidative ageing, knowing that Romorantin is one of the few grapes — alongside Savagnin — that relishes this treatment and improves both in flavour and ability to last.
Bottled with minimal sulfur and unfiltered, "Les Acacias" is a wine of unusual potency and depth. In the glass, it is deep gold with a luminous rim. The nose is a complex weave of salted almond, delicate white honey, dried apricot, and a distinct mineral stoniness. The palate is rich and structured, with a comforting round texture balanced by electric acidity and a long, saline finish. A small amount of carbon dioxide protects the wine, giving it an almost effervescent energy that tries to burst out of the bottle. This is not a wine for casual drinking; it is a wine for contemplation, for ageing, for the moment when you need something that tastes like the Loire at its most profound. Serve at 12–14°C. Cellar 5–15 years. ~$45–$65 / ~€40–€58.
The Domaine Villemade Range
Hervé Villemade produces an extensive, classic portfolio from his 22 hectares of certified organic vineyards across Cellettes, Chitenay, and Fougères-sur-Bièvre in Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny, plus négoçiant cuvées from purchased organic grapes. All estate wines are hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts, and aged in a diverse array of vessels — concrete tanks, foudres, tronconic vats, neutral barriques, amphorae, and buried Georgian qvevri. Sulfur is minimal or absent depending on the cuvée. The portfolio spans pét-nat, whites, rosé, and reds — each expressing the freshness, precision, and honest Loire character that defines the estate. Prices are approximate and in USD/EUR.