Marie-Lise & Thomas Batardiere - New Releases from the Loire Valley
6/20/25 -
A little over ten years ago, we first met Thomas Batardiere, when he had a tiny, cramped "cellar" (actually just a garage) on the side of the road in the small town of Rablay-sur-Layon. I still remember the visit, tasting from some barrels and tanks and feeling that I was witnessing the beginning of a very special and promising estate. The first wines we stocked at Chambers Street were two Chenin Blancs, the 2014 Clos des Cocus, and L'Esprit Libre. Since then Thomas, and his wife and partner Marie-Lise, have slowly added more cuvées to their lineup, including a red from the local Grolleau grape, and two more white wines, one from a small plot of old vines from a parcel called Noels de Montbenault, and the other from young vines that they planted around 5 years ago. Perhaps a little best-kept secret, they also occasionally release small amounts of long lees-aged sparkling wines (usually aged 3 years sur latte on average). We're honored and thrilled to offer one of these bubbly gems, the 2021 Ultraviolette - a rosé from Grolleau, along with the small allocation of still wines from the 2023 vintage. Tasted at the estate earlier this year in February, they were all positively singing. They just arrived a week ago from France so we recommend letting them rest for at least a few weeks (or years!) as they will surely settle down and be more expressive after a little repose. -Eben Lillie, with BIG thanks to fellow CSW staff-member Jeff DiLorenzo for copious and thoughtful notes on the wines!
A native of Angers, Thomas Batardiere is not from a winemaking family, but he became fascinated with natural wines and pursued a career in wine after studying anthropology and filmmaking. After spending several years working with Mathieu Vallée at Château Yvonne in Saumur, Thomas started his own project in 2012, with 2 hectares of vines, and a shack on the side of the road in Rablay. Mostly working with Chenin Blanc, Thomas slowly added to his holdings, planting some vines while learning about different sites in the area from fellow winemakers, including his neighbor Richard Leroy. His wife Marie-Lise helps out with many of the responsibilities at the winery, and the two are some of the sweetest people you'll meet in the Loire (which is saying something!).
>>>VIEW WINES HERE<<<
or scroll down for notes on each wine.....
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Ultraviolette 2021: This is a new wine from Marie-Lise and Thomas, made up of 100% Grolleau, direct pressed over the course of 24 hours before fermenting in stainless steel tank. Once bottled it spends three years on lees, disgorged in October of 2024 before spending another six months in bottle. This long, patient approach results in a superb sparkling wine with finesse, texture and depth. There's bright, wild strawberry fruit and hints of brioche, with fine bubbles and precise acidity that perfectly balances the more broad, creamy texture. It finishes crisp and dry, an elegant sparkling wine with great energy and purity.
Amor Fati 2023: Amor Fati is an ethereally light red from a small holding of Grolleau vines. It is made with whole clusters which are pressed after just two days, with very little to no maceration. The 2023 is beautiful and pure, with less reduction than past years while retaining all the same bright, tart berry fruit and mouthwatering acidity. Best served slightly cool, this is a playful and fun red that's perfect for summer.
Grand Clos 2023: Grand Clos is a new Chenin from Marie-Lise and Thomas, from young vines they planted in Rablay on eroded soils. It begins fermentation in stainless steel tank for ten days before aging in foudre. While the vines are young (around four years old) the 2023 packs plenty of substance, with some flinty reduction on the nose that gives way to layers of golden fruit and a deep mineral cut. There's nice freshness and balanced acidity that make it enjoyable early on, structured but open and ready to drink now or over the next five years.
L'Esprit Libre 2023: L'Esprit Libre is from 3 parcels in the village of Rablay from vines aging from 15-90 years old, with plateaus of sandy soil and gravely soils of quartz over schist. The blend is assembled in stainless steel tanks before fermentation. Fermentations occur naturally, without the use of temperature control. In 2023 it took many passes to get grapes of optimal ripeness, but the result is a pure and lifted Chenin with subtle aromatics of crisp apple and white flowers, with characteristic minerality and vibrant acidity. While the other Chenins from Batardière are more contemplative and take some time to reveal themselves, L'Esprit Libre is pure joy right out of the bottle. A perfect wine to drink now while you wait on Les Noëls de Montbenault to evolve in the cellar!
Les Cocus 2023: Les Cocus comes from a single parcel planted in 1958, which sits atop a hillside comprised of clay schist soils with good wind exposure. The wine undergoes primary and malolactic fermentation in used 500L barrels with no fining and only a small amount of sulfur is added at bottling. The 2023 Les Cocus is a beautiful Chenin, a deep golden color in the glass with pure, crystalline fruit, sleek minerality and profound texture. There's plenty of structure to age another 5-10 years, but there's a nice tension and vivacity that make it extremely enjoyable now.
Les Noëls de Montbenault 2023: Les Noëls de Montbenault is a famous site in Anjou, mostly associated with the Richard Leroy cuvée of the same name. It is a unique parcel that is essentially a volcanic site, rich in Rhyolite, and distinct from the Cocus vineyard or the other parcels that Batardiere works. The vines here were planted by Thomas in 2014, so this is a relatively new wine, but has already impressed us immensely in recent vintages. The 2023 is exceptional, deeply mineral with incredible length and layers of complexity that open up over the course of several hours. Undoubtedly a wine for the cellar, it is also a superb Chenin Blanc to enjoy now with a decant.
