Batardiere Thomas & Marie Lise, Les Nöels de Montbenault 2022

100% Chenin Blanc

Loire Valley, France

Certified Biodynamic. Montbenault is a parcel of Chenin that Batardière planted in 2014. It’s only is 50 meters from Les Cocus, but the soil is different: deeper and characterized by a volcanic rock called Rhyolite that’s particular to the area. Fermentation in stainless steel vats, then moved to 500L tonneaux for one year of aging. These barrels are used, 2-3 years old (no new barrels). Naturally occurring fermentation, both primary and malolactic. No additions until small amounts (1-2 grams) of SO2 at bottling.

Thomas Batardière is a passionate, accomplished vigneron who comes to the whole arena from a different angle than many other natural vignerons in Anjou. Born in 1980 in Angers, he studied anthropology, but in 2008 while working as a filmmaker, Batardière became deeply interested in natural wine. Abandoning his previous career, he worked as a sommelier first but was more drawn to winemaking; not long thereafter he decided to work with Mathieu Vallée at Château Yvonne in Saumur. 

In 2012 Batardière finally began his own project in Rablay-sur-Layon (Maine-et-Loire, Anjou). He started by purchasing a few hectares of the variety with which he has the most affinity—Chenin Blanc—but as he puts it, “without a cave, without a house, without a tractor—just a pruner and those two hectares of vines.” 

Thomas’ vineyard surface area now equals 3.5ha—2.5 Chenin Blanc, .85 Grolleau, and .15 Cabernet Franc. We receive only a small quantity of these jewel-like wines, as a result, but we’re always enchanted by their robust-but-elegant character. Batardière’s wines are somehow powerful, pretty, and crystal clear all at once, an unadorned expression of Anjou that could only come from this clear-headed and intuitive winemaker.