THE PLAISANCE ADVENTURE
In the heart of Anjou noir, on the terroirs of Chaume, quart de Chaume and Savennières, organic farming since 1995 and biodynamic since 2008, Plaisance is a rarity.
Taken over from the Rochais family (owner since 1960) by Vanessa Cherruau, a young 32-year-old native of Angers. Plaisance is a story of the heart: a place, a meeting, a soul. And the potential of this thousand-year-old terroir becomes obvious.
The adventure begins on September 12, 2019 with a baby in the womb and half of a new team under the elbow. A crazy project. An unconscious dream.
The potential of this thousand-year-old terroir becomes obvious.
A SINGULAR PLACE
A VISION OF WINE
Our quest is that of reaching the soul. The wine must move, vibrate with an intention, a texture, a color, a grain, a smoothness.
It is a choreography: the wine of the soul. Energy, grace, and all the elements that compose it in harmony. Chaume is like a star dancer: athletic yet slender.
As on stage, the efforts produced must not be visible, what remains is elegance and complexity, fluidity of movement. Everything should seem obvious. Easy.
A rare plot consisting only of crus where the Chenin mainly present (80%) is expressed in the soils of Schist, Spilite, Sandstone and Poudingue.
A chenin that moves, versatile and so fascinating. A few Cabernet Francs and Cabernet Sauvignons (the only ones from the Butte de Chaume) complete this playground.
25 ha in organic farming since 1995 biodynamic since 2008
LPO labeling since 2019
. 20 ha of chenin
. 2.5 ha of cabernet sauvignon
. 2.5 ha of cabernet franc
IN THE VINEYARD
Throughout the year, we make sure to accompany the vines with kindness, never rushing them, always listening to them, respecting their rhythm and that of the moon cycles. Without prejudice, there are no rules, we adapt our techniques for each plot, and serving as a draft, our control plots, which do not receive any intervention. Observation is our only guide.
We cultivate doubt, uncertainty and constant questioning as a tool to achieve the best in our eyes.
In the vineyard, pruning is done in the Guillot-Poussard method to respect the flow of sap, control the load of the vine, avoid pile up. We practice meticulous debudding and leaf stripping if necessary.
For the soil, we have chosen life. We work at a minimum between rows to promote ambient biodiversity. Lay the grass down, mulch naturally, protect rather than turn the earth. Let the flora and fauna present express themselves: nature as the main means of protection.
All this work allows us to obtain the healthiest grapes possible, to harvest each bunch at the right maturity, 100% manually.
IN THE CELLAR
Our wines are an expression of the terroir from which they come. All our cuvées are vinified naturally, without any brutal intervention and without any input (except for micro-doses of sulfur).
Not having a parachute requires irreproachable rigor (immense hygiene, very regular tastings), unstoppable technical mastery and an irresistible crave for insomnia.
A TEAM
Behind every great wine hides a great team.
Plaisance is thus, a strong collective symbiosis, which serves to highlight the uniqueness of this remarkable place.
Plaisance is the energy of Vanessa, the confidence of Emmanuel, the rigor and the passion of Guillaume, the efficiency of Jean-Pierre, the macguyverism of Charles-Elie, the versatility of Constance, the benevolence of Patricia, and the good humor of Timothée. It's a balancing act, the synchronization of a team, the blending of personalities.
Together, we aim for the invisible: wines that provide emotion, made with sincerity and love for the living.
OUR ETHICS
Certified organic since 1995 and biodynamic since 2008. But being satisfied with this is not enough - because we know that we can go further.
Plaisance is thus committed to protecting the environment and biodiversity in a comprehensive manner, working towards the most neutral carbon footprint possible. While making wine is what drives us most, the desire to do so with impeccable social and environmental ethics is limitless.
While the frustration of not achieving everything right away is great, the promise is sincere, the goals are set, and the actions are implemented. Here's a glimpse.
Vanessa Cherruau
PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE NATURE THAT SURROUNDS US
Birds are our friends. More than 60 species were recorded on the estate during our LPO audit, including rare specimens like the Short-toed Eagle. Observing our environment to better protect them is essential.
Since 2019, we have implemented:
- 150 fruit trees (Wolf's Paw Apple, Giffard Buttered Pear, Princess Almond, Vine Peach, Vine Nectar) and forest trees (Corsican Alder, Service Tree, Sessile Oak, Walnut, Elm, Linden, American Honey Locust)
- 1200 linear meters of hedges (Dogwood, Medlar, Elderberry, Hazel, Privet, Hawthorn)
CONSISTENCY AS EVIDENCE
. Following our carbon audit in 2020 which indicated that 72% of our carbon emissions came from the bottle, we switched to an ultra-light bottle, namely 380 grams, from our second vintage. By this simple choice of not choosing a heavy bottle for the image it could create, we have reduced our emissions by 35%.
. Mainly distributed in France, we do not wish to export more than 40% of our wine production.
We have installed a water flow meter across the entire estate, in order to better understand and control our consumption.
We compost all green waste and find solutions for dead stumps: no more unnecessary polluting burning in the open air!
. Renovate, rehabilitate rather than destroy and rebuild: Respect for the environment also comes through this. We preferred to invest drastically in the vineyard and rehabilitate the building more intelligently (and economically!). No construction of a new winery but rather development solutions to improve the quality of the wines by extending the pressing cycles and aging.
And much more to come!
