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Claude de Nell
For three years the winery lay fallow – no harvest, no wines, just wild vines. Then came Anne-Claude Leflaive. The "Grande Dame of Chardonnay" from Burgundy recognised the potential of Clau de Nell immediately: hundred-year-old vines on tuff stone, in the heart of Anjou.
In 2008 she acquired the estate with her husband Christian Jacques. Today, following Anne-Claude's death in 2015, Christian and cellarmaster Sylvain Potin continue the legacy – with the same precision that made Domaine Leflaive a legend.
More about Clau de Nell
The Legacy of a Legend
"We didn't choose Clau de Nell – Clau de Nell chose us." This is how Christian Jacques describes the encounter with the forgotten estate. When Anne-Claude Leflaive travelled through the Loire in 2006 searching for biodynamic projects, she discovered a jewel in Ambillou-Château: 10 hectares of old vines, managed biodynamically since 2000, yet without wine production for three years.
The pioneer of biodynamics recognised the potential. In 2008, she took over the property, named after its former owners Claude and Nelly Pichard. With Cabernet Franc 2021 from sixty-year-old vines and Chenin Blanc, the renaissance began.
Precision as Philosophy
"For us, it's about always trying to be more precise", says cellar master Sylvain Potin. The former sommelier arrived at Clau de Nell in 2009 and brought his instinct for elegance and balance with him. His wines are not powerhouses, but rather filigree interpretations of the terroir.
The soils of sandstone gravel and red flint over tuffeau characterise every wine. The Chenin Blanc displays taut minerality, the Cabernet Franc dark fruit with silky tannins. The cuvée "Violette" unites both Cabernet varieties into a wine of remarkable depth.
Old Vines, Low Yields
The average vine age at Clau de Nell is 60 years – some parcels are over a century old. These veterans deliver concentrated grapes, but in small quantities: yields remain below 30 hectolitres per hectare.
Five hectares of Cabernet Franc form the heart of the estate, complemented by 4.5 hectares of Chenin Blanc, two hectares of Grolleau and one hectare of Cabernet Sauvignon. Since 2021, the winery has also produced a Blanc de Noir – the fifth cuvée in the portfolio. As with Liv Vincendeau in neighbouring Anjou, the focus here is also on the grape variety: single varietal, unadulterated, precise.
Biodynamics Since the Turn of the Millennium
Clau de Nell was already biodynamic before Anne-Claude Leflaive arrived. The conversion took place as early as 2000 – a pioneering operation in Anjou. The team continues this philosophy consistently: certified biodynamic, with respect for the natural rhythms of the vineyard.
90 metres above sea level, 120 kilometres from the Atlantic, the vines benefit from cool nights and warm days. The result is wines of vibrant freshness that gain in complexity with each passing year.