Ferme de la sansonnière
Walking through Mark Angeli’s vineyards you get a hint that things are done differently here. His vines, some as old as 80 years of age, are bush trained, a system not often seen in the Loire. A transplant to the Loire Valley in the 1990s, Mark rejected the production of sweet Chenin Blanc, despite purchasing vineyards in Bonnezeaux and Coteaux du Layon, as the late harvests mean either gambling on the weather or manipulating the wines, and he would rather do neither. Richly textured, complex and ageworthy, these wines are a testament to Angeli’s dedication and are some of the best Chenin Blancs we’ve ever tasted.
VDF ‘La Lune’
100% chenin blanc from different parcels across the Sansonnière farm, totalling 3 hecatares. La Lune is about half of the Angeli’s production and is made each year in as dry a style as possible, so in warmer years it will be slightly off-dry. Fermented spontaneously in old 400hl barrels and raised there for 12 months. Only a minimal amount of sulphur is used, and in the last decade or so, Mark has converted to volcanic sulphur, which he prefers as it isn’t a petrochemical byproduct. He believes also that it allows him to use even less than conventional sulphur, while still achieving a stable wine.
Quick Facts
APPELLATION: Vin de France
VINTAGE: 2022
STYLE: white
GRAPE: chenin blanc
FARMING: biodynamic
FERMENTATION: oak
MATURATION: oak
FILTRATION: filtered
ALCOHOL: 13%
CASE SIZE: 12
VDF ‘La Lune amphore’
La Lune Amphore is an elegant, fresh, and savory wine. Original and of great purity, it's a graceful wine that unfolds sinuously in the mouth, revealing all its minerality and finesse. It has a long, deep finish.
Quick Facts
APPELLATION: Vin de France
VINTAGE: 2022
STYLE: white
GRAPE: chenin blanc
FARMING: biodynamic
FERMENTATION: oak
MATURATION: amphora
FILTRATION: filtered
ALCOHOL: 13.5%
CASE SIZE: 12
Les Vielles Vignes des Blanderies
From a small parcel of old-vine chenin blanc, Les Blanderies is fermented naturally and aged for two years in large neutral barrels. The extended élévage allows particles to settle out by gravity, so it is bottled unfiltered. A real vin de garde, it is less open in its youth than La Lune, often needing 3-5 years in bottle to express itself fully.
Quick Facts
APPELLATION: Vin de France
VINTAGE: 2019, 2020
STYLE: white
GRAPE: chenin blanc
FARMING: biodynamic
FERMENTATION: oak
MATURATION: oak
FILTRATION: unfiltered
ALCOHOL: 14%
CASE SIZE: 12
VDF ‘La Lune noir’
Floral aromas on the nose, accompanied by hints of citrus fruits. On the palate the wine is fresh and harmonious.
Quick Facts
APPELLATION: Vin de France
VINTAGE: 2020, 2021
STYLE: white
GRAPE: chenin blanc
FARMING: biodynamic
FERMENTATION: oak
MATURATION: oak
FILTRATION: unfiltered
ALCOHOL: 13.5%
CASE SIZE: 12
VDF ‘Les Gelinettes’
Les Gelinettes is the only red produced at Ferme de La Sansonniere, keeping faith with the Anjou area which wants it as a large block dedicated to white wines. The Cabernet Sauvignon vine, however, finds here an environment familiar with its characteristics, moreover it is not far from the undisputed terroir of Saumur, ideal for this red grape vine. Les Gelinettes, like the other vineyards owned by Angeli, also measures just half a hectare, always trained in Alberello with a density of 8000 vines per hectare.
Quick Facts
APPELLATION: Vin de France
VINTAGE: 2021, 2022
STYLE: red
GRAPES: Cabernet Franc
FARMING: biodynamic
FERMENTATION: oak
MATURATION: oak
FILTRATION: filtered
ALCOHOL: 11%
CASE SIZE: 12
VDF ‘La Lune noir’
A juicy, moreish blend of grolleau gris and cabernet franc made in a demi-sec style. Initially this cuvée was a bit of an accident, but it was so well-received that Mark has kept making it year after year. Bottled just two weeks after harvest, it’s a youthful, farmhouse style that would have been made in the area before the Second World War and the subsequent use of agrochemicals, and chaptalisation changed wine production entirely.
Quick Facts
APPELLATION: Vin de France
VINTAGE: 2020
STYLE: rosé
GRAPES: grolleau, cabernet franc
FARMING: biodynamic
FERMENTATION: oak
MATURATION: oak
FILTRATION: filtered
ALCOHOL: 11%
CASE SIZE: 12