Geology and Terroir
Our estate is located on the foothills of the Massif Armoricain (Brittany), on a schist Precambrian platform with a West-East volcanic breach, with a great mineralogical diversity: carboniferous, pudding stones, square stones, spilites, phtalites, rhyolites...
Terroir
The Chenin variety is subject to the soil where it grows as well as the local climate. These elements are part of what is called in French “le terroir”. The kind of soil, its chemical composition and the climate have a great influence on the grapes, and therefore, on the quality of the wine. The Domaine Jo Pithon includes a great diversity of terroirs typical of the Loire Valley.
ANJOU BLANC
Dark-coloured schist soils and temperate oceanic climate but rather dry with small temperature differences.
| Anjou | Pépinières | Assembly of various terroirs |
| Anjou | Les Blanches Bergères | Vineyard Les Bergères and Les Bonnes Blanches |
| Anjou | Les Treilles | Single-vineyard wine Les Treilles |
SAVENNIERES
Slopes overlooking the Loire river benefiting from many hours of sunlight and a rather mild weather with punctual oceanic influences. The schist in the soils erodes on the surface, creating clays mixed with quartz and dark sand and, in some places, red volcanic stones and phtanites coming from underground.
| Savennières | La Croix Picot | Single-vineyard wine |
COTEAUX DU LAYON
Schist and sandstone terraces of the Armoricain platform; dark shallow soils. Temperate oceanic climate particularly dry. Sunlit and windy slopes with early-growing vegetation. The harvest period depends on the kind of cuvée wanted (over-ripen grapes until completely botrytised).
| Coteau du Layon | Les 4 Villages | Assembly of various terroirs |
| Coteau du Layon | Le Cochet | Single-vineyard wine |
| Coteau du Layon | Les Bonnes Blanches | Single-vineyard wine |
QUARTS DE CHAUME
Unique and small site on the right bank of the Layon river, made of Brioverian (late Proterozoic) hard schist. Surrounded by high hills, this small land is protected from the wind and captures the sunlight. The resulting micro-climate is favourable to noble rot (Botrytis cinerea).
| Quarts de Chaume | Les Varennes | Single-vineyard wine |
ANJOU ROUGE
Dark-coloured schist soils and temperate oceanic climate.
| Anjou | Cabernet Franc | Old vineyards of cabernet franc |
| Anjou | Cabernets | Assembly of various terroirs (Cabernets franc and sauvignon) |
Les Treilles
In the old days, the slopes of “Les Treilles”, by the bridge called “Pont Barré”, in the village Beaulieu-sur-Layon, were used for wine growing but were abandoned after the Second World War for other plots of land easier to cultivate. After putting all the pieces of the puzzle together and buying 70 plots of land to its 25 owners, we were able to start the rehabilitation process: clearing the brushwood and stocks and taking away the biggest stones. Now the slope is just like it used to be, with its shed, its stairs and its low dry-stone walls.
Postcard showing “Les Treilles” in 1920
In addition to the young vine plants of Chenin grown a 3-hectare surface, we plan to cultivate two other hectares in the years to come. The great sun exposure and very few rains falling on the steep slopes of “Les Treilles” allow the optimum growth and development of the vine.
The soil is made of pudding stones, carboniferous and spilites as well as many fossil plants, fern leaves, and so on.
This slope is classified as Natural Area of Ecological and Wildlife Interest and has aroused the interest of scientists for its botanical and entomological wealth. The slope is quite steep (up to 70% inclination) and therefore difficult to access. As a consequence, many protected species are preserved, part of them being regionally and nationally endangered species such as the Chalk-hill blue (Lysandra coridon) and the Early Star-of-Bethlehem (Gagea bohemica). The Society for the Protection of Birds is currently developing the wealth of this site (www.lpo-anjou.org).
For more information on “Les Treilles”, download this document (3pdf) .