Loire Valley Restock: Domaine du Fresche and Claire et Florent Bejon
10/2/20 -
In the last few weeks we've had some great wines from the Loire Valley coming in, including recent shipments from Domaine du Fresche in Anjou, and the dynamic duo Claire and Florent Bejon, from further east of Angers, near Chinon.
Fresche is one of those quintessential Chambers Street estates: longtime organic farming (in this case 20 years), hand harvested fruit, native yeast fermentation, and incredible value for the money. Located in La Pommeraye (Anjou), the estate has been in the Boré family for six generations. Alain Boré took over from his parents in 1989 and converted the estate to organic farming beginning in 2000. His wife Christine helps with estate and is one of the most charming and sweet French people we know. Their wines speak of the history of the Anjou appellation, with Chenin Blanc in dry and sweet iterations, reds of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Grolleau, and Pinot Noir, a classic Cabernet d'Anjou, which denotes the appellation known specifically for demi-sec rosé, even a delicious Cremant de Loire. We don't have their whole lineup in stock, but the four wines available today are a great sampling of the domaine.
Claire and Florent Bejon operate an enchanting estate in Saint-Germain-sur-Vienne, tucked up on a hill with caverns carved into limestone. Their cellar is in a Troglydyte cave, and classical music plays on the radio for the aging wines, which further enhances the feeling of stepping into the past. There's a serenity to the place, and I can't really put into words the feeling of being there, and grasping the care and artistry in what they do, but it's memorable.
Truly a group effort, the two take part in every step of the winemaking, from vineyard work, to harvesting, through vinification. Florent's full time job is as a mobile bottler, and a specialist in carefully bottling wines that have minimal or zero added SO2, so he takes care of the bottling while Claire helps with exports and orders.
Their wines are all pressed manually, fermented in fibreglass, and aged in old barrels, bottled without any added sulfites. Though one vineyard they have could fall under the Chinon appellation, everything is Vin de France, from around Saint-Germain-sur-Vienne, where the Vienne feeds into the Loire river. We're happy to have the three wines they make - two reds from Cabernet Franc, and a dry Chenin Blanc - which all speak a little magic, and will appeal to Loire Valley fans and natural wine lovers alike.
-Eben Lillie
