CHÂTEAU DE FOSSE-SÈCHE
Loire / ANJOU-Saumur
The Château de Fosse-Sèche estate has a rich history dating back to between 800 and 1000 AD, when it was founded by Benedictine monks. For several centuries, the estate was under the ownership of the Church. In 1998, Guillaume Pire, a wine enthusiast and environmentalist, acquired the property with the goal of creating unique Loire wines that truly reflected their terroir. In 2010, his brother Adrien joined him in this endeavor.
The Château de Fosse-Sèche estate spans 45 hectares, with only 15 dedicated to vineyards. The unique geology of the region, characterized by flint and iron oxide soils and a cool, windy exposure, is farmed using organic and biodynamic practices.
Adrien and Guillaume are deeply committed to preserving the environment and have set aside two-thirds of the land for nature and biodiversity conservation. Their efforts have been recognized by the Ligue de la Protection des Oiseaux (The League for the Protection of Birds), which has designated the estate as a haven for birds, and in 2018, they received the first prize for agricultural dynamics in Maine-et-Loire for their work in economic development, social improvement, and environmental preservation.
The estate is known for crafting exceptional cuvées that epitomize precision, purity and elegance, and are considered some of the finest wines in the region.
Fosse-Sèche unique terroir
The Saumur appellation is almost exclusively planted on Turonian soil, which is to say, limestone soil. This stone is well known to the people of the region (under the name of Tuffeau). Very easy to work with, it has been used to build many houses and especially almost all of the famous castles, churches, and abbeys of the Loire Valley.
However, Fosse-Sèche is located at the end of the Brossay plateau, a small village of about 300 inhabitants. This plateau is a geological curiosity in this area. It consists of a Jurassic soil that does not contain free limestone but flint stones and iron oxide trapped in this flint gravel in complete degradation. The location of the vineyard is slightly convex, providing a cool and windy exposure. Combined with the warm soil due to the flint effect, this gives the wines of Fosse-Sèche a very particular straightness.
Owner
Region
Terroirs
Farming
Harvest
Size
Grapes Grown
Website
Vineland Rep.
Adrien & Guillaume Pire
Loire Valley
Anjou-Saumur
Organic & Biodynamic (Biodyvin)
Manual
45 hectares (15 under vines)
Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Canvernet-Sauvignon
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Château de Fosse-Sèche ‘Arcane’
Appellation: Vin de France
Varietal: 100% Chenin
Age of Vines: Less than 25 years old.
Soil Type: Jurassic plateau with a stony structure (flint) with gravel bound by slightly clayey soil. Free of any free limestone, this soil allows for very deep rooting.
Climate: Temperate zone with an oceanic influence, promoting slow and gradual ripening.
Culture: Organic (Ecocert) and biodynamic (Biodyvin) agriculture.
Harvest: Date confirmed by tasting of the skins and seeds to achieve tannins that are enveloped, fine, and aromatic: perfectly ripe tannins.
Yield: 7 hl/ha
Winemaking: Fermentation for 6 months in tank.
Aging Potential: Potential to age for more than 25 years.
Notes: Made from Chenin, wine fermented on the lees, dry, full-bodied wine for aging, with rich flavors, aromas of honey and flowers.
Château de Fosse-Sèche ‘Panthalassa’
"Botrytized Chenin finished as a dry wine"
Appellation: Vin de France
Varietal: 100% Chenin
Soil Type: Jurassic plateau with a stony structure (flint) with gravel bound by slightly clayey soil. Free of any free limestone, this soil allows for very deep rooting.
Climate: Temperate zone with an oceanic influence, promoting slow and gradual ripening.
Culture: Organic (Ecocert) and biodynamic (Biodyvin) agriculture.
Harvest: The harvest (October 2020) that produced this wine had noble rot (Botritys Cinerea). These grapes were no longer golden but ranged from dusty pink to chocolate. This is an exceptional maturity for grapes intended to produce great dry wine.
Winemaking: After the slow pressing of these grapes, the must (grape juice) fermented and aging on lees in concrete eggs of 16 hl.
Notes: The Panthalassa was the vast global ocean that surrounded Pangea, a supercontinent that existed at the end of the Paleozoic. The wine is delicious now but will improve from year to year. Fifty years of aging in a good cellar will make this wine a real nectar.
Château de Fosse-Sèche ‘EOLITHE’
Appellation: Vin de France
Varietal: 99% Cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
Age of the vines: Between 10 and over 60 years old, on rootstock without excessive vigor.
Soil Type: Jurassic plateau with a stony structure (flint) with gravel bound by slightly clayey soil. Free of any free limestone, this soil allows for very deep rooting.
Climate: Temperate zone with an oceanic influence, promoting slow and gradual ripening.
Culture: Organic (Ecocert) and biodynamic (Biodyvin).
Harvest: Date confirmed by tasting of the skins and seeds to achieve tannins that are enveloped, fine, and aromatic: perfectly ripe tannins.
Yield: 27 hl/ha
Winemaking: Maceration for 3 to 15 days. Aging on the lees in tank for 14 months.
Aging Potential: Potential to age between 20 and 30 years.
Notes: Eolithe shows notes of raspberry and currant, with hints of rose. The palate is light silky and refreshing, with hints of raspberry blending with a hint of mineral aromas. It is an elegant and fine wine.
Château de Fosse-Sèche 'LAURASIE'
Appellation: Vin de France
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Age of the Vines: Vines aged about 15 years old, on rootstock without excessive vigor.
Soil: Jurassic plateau with a stony structure (flint) with gravel bound by slightly clayey soil. Free of any free limestone, this soil allows for very deep rooting.
Climate: Temperate zone with an oceanic influence, promoting slow and gradual ripening.
Culture: Organic (Ecocert) and biodynamic (Biodyvin) agriculture.
Harvest: Date confirmed by tasting of the skins and seeds to achieve tannins that are enveloped, fine, and aromatic (perfectly ripe tannins)/
Yield: 20 hl/ha
Winemaking: Maceration for less than a week under controlled temperature.
Aging: 14 months on the lees in an oval tank Aging Potential: Potential to age for over 30 years.
Notes: Cabernet Sauvignon with tannins that are enveloped, fine, and aromatic.
Château de Fosse-Sèche 'GONDWANA'
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Franc
Age of the Vines: Vines aged over 60 years old, on rootstock without excessive vigor.
Soil: Jurassic plateau with a stony structure (flint) with gravel bound by slightly clayey soil. Free of any free limestone, this soil allows for very deep rooting.
Climate: Temperate zone with an oceanic influence, promoting slow and gradual ripening.
Culture: Organic (Ecocert) and biodynamic (Biodyvin).
Harvest: Date confirmed by tasting of the skins and seeds to achieve tannins that are enveloped, fine, and aromatic (perfectly ripe tannins).
Yield: 20 hl/ha
Winemaking: Maceration for less than 10 days under controlled temperature.
Aging: 14 months on the lees in an oval tank.
Aging Potential: Potential to age for 30 years.
Notes: Cabernet franc with extremely soft tannins and great finesse. Aged for 14 months on the lees in an oval tank.
Château de Fosse-Sèche 'Réserve du Pigeonnier'
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Franc
Age of the Vines: Vines aged over 60 years old, on rootstock without excessive vigor.
Soil: Jurassic plateau with a stony structure (flint) with gravel bound by slightly clayey soil. Free of any free limestone, this soil allows for very deep rooting.
Climate: Temperate zone with an oceanic influence, promoting slow and gradual ripening.
Culture: Organic (Ecocert) and biodynamic (Biodyvin).
Harvest: Date confirmed by tasting of the skins and seeds to achieve tannins that are enveloped, fine, and aromatic (perfectly ripe tannins).
Yield: Less than 11 hl/ha
Winemaking: Maceration for less than 20 days under controlled temperature. Aging on the lees in an oval tank for 14 months.
Aging: 14 months on the lees in an oval tank.
Aging Potential: Potential to age for 30 years.
Notes: Cabernet franc. Richness, depth, and density are the result of a parcel selection with extremely reduced yield. Aging on the lees in an oval tank for 14 months.