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You smile when you see the labels: “ZeitLos” is the name of her prestige Crémant – a pun that reveals the whole philosophy. Liv Vincendeau of Domaine Vincendeau lets her sparkling wines mature where time stands still: in the tuffeau cellars of Saumur, at a constant 11 degrees.
Born in Darmstadt, she came to Anjou as a chemist and stayed as a winemaker. Since 2014 she has farmed four hectares on the Corniche Angevine – a protected landscape of steep slopes overlooking the Loire. Her old Chenin Blanc vines are rooted in green and violet schist interspersed with volcanic rock.
≈ Aroma: Cherry
In all wines: 2,865 Wines
More about Liv Vincendeau
Precision meets terroir
Liv Vincendeau is a perfectionist. In rubber boots she stands among her vine rows, holds bottles up to the winter light and checks the clarity of her maturing Crémants. This obsession with detail is no accident – she studied chemistry in York and Strasbourg before falling in love with the world of wine.
Her Bulles de Liv Gold combines this precision with the character of the Loire: herbs, shell, white bread crust – the RVF awarded the 2021 vintage 91 points out of 100.
48 months of patience
The figures speak for themselves: while the law requires only nine months on the lees for Crémant de Loire, the Zeitlos Réserve rests a full 48 months in the famous tuffeau cellars of Saumur. The result? A Crémant of breathtaking complexity, which Terre des Vins honoured with its coveted Coup de Cœur.
The base for all the sparkling wines is Chenin Blanc from vines between ten and eighty years old. Spontaneous fermentation, no dosage, Demeter-certified since 2020 – purist Crémants without compromise.
The terroir of the steep slopes
The vineyards of Domaine Vincendeau lie on the Corniche Angevine, a protected steep slope above Rochefort-sur-Loire. The view sweeps across the Loire to the island of Béhuard. Underfoot: green and violet schist, spilite and phtanite of volcanic origin, interspersed with quartz.
These barren, stony soils limit yields to a maximum of 45 hectolitres per hectare – ideal for concentrated, mineral base wines. Much like Claude Riffault in neighbouring Sancerre, Liv puts authenticity before quantity.
From chemist to vigneronne
“The viticulteur produces grapes. The vigneron has to turn them into wine – a second craft,” says Liv Vincendeau. She has mastered this second craft. With just 16,000 bottles a year, the domaine is one of the small but fine addresses of the Loire.
The winemaker does most of the work herself: pruning, canopy work, harvest, vinification, sales. She is supported by a handful of loyal seasonal workers and her family. A craft business in the best sense – authentic, personal, without compromise.