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Domaine Mosse

The story of Domaine Mosse began in the 1990s when Agnès and René Mosse were the patrons of a popular wine bar in Tours. Through having this business they soon became acquainted with some of the Loire's leading 'natural' vignerons, including Jo Pithon and François Chidaine. Enthused by these icons of Loire winemaking, Agnès and René undertook the study of viticulture and oenology at Amboise, before moving down to Burgundy to gain some experience with Hubert de Montille. In 1999 they returned to the Loire, purchasing 16 hectares of land in St Lambert du Lattay, complete with cellars and equipment, and thus Domaine Mosse was born. Experiencing financial difficulties in the early years they accommodated outside investors, and so today Agnès and René own one-third of their eponymous estate, the rest belonging to their Belgian partners. Of the 16 hectares, today 12.8 are dedicated to the vine.

Vineyards and Vines

The vineyard is dominated by Chenin Blanc which accounts for 8.5 hectares, accompanied by about 3 hectares of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, with a few plots amounting to less than 1 hectare dedicated to Grolleau, Gamay and Chardonnay. From the outset, no doubt influenced by their wine bar acquaintances and Amboise tutor Thierry Puzelat, the duo have tended their vines along organic lines, certified by Qualité France, with an emphasis on ploughing to reduce weed cover and surface roots. Since 2001 they have also incorporated some biodynamic principles, although they do so without official certification. The vineyard treatments are plant-based, although Bordeaux mixture has also been employed.

The vines are planted at a fairly standard 5500 per hectare, all within close proximity to the cellars, and underfoot the terroir comprises mostly schist and sandstone, with some areas of surface clay. They have undertaken much replanting since taking over the domaine, the vineyards having been allowed to deteriorate by the previous owner who sold the domaine for lack of an heir. For this they have sourced Chenin Blanc by massale selection from the vineyards of Marc Angeli, the cuttings subsequently nurtured in Guy Bossard's nursery. These young vines today account for about 3 hectares of the Mosse vineyards.

The harvest is manual, the aim being for physiological maturity of skins and pips, and the fruit is picked in several tries through the vineyard. The grapes are gently pressed and then fermented by the indigenous yeasts, and as would be expected with such a 'natural' ethos chaptalisation, acidification, enzymes, fermentation enhancers and all other chemicals are eschewed.

The Wines of Agnès and René Mosse

Although situated in the heart of the Coteaux du Layon appellation, the domaine sitting on the north bank of the Layon itself, Agnès and René Mosse (Agnès is pictured left, with her 2008 Anjou Blanc in Angers, February 2010) focus on dry wines, in particular white of which there are a number of cuvées, mostly using the Anjou appellation although there is also a single example of Savennières in the portfolio. Nevertheless, there are also rosé and red wines and it is worth taking a quick look here first. The former of these is Achillée, a rosé cuvée named for a hardy perennial with pink-white flowers commonly spotted in the vineyard; the flower itself is named for Achilles, who is said to have bandaged the wounds of his troops with it. As for the wine, it is a vin de table made from 25-30 year-old Gamay, Grolleau and the two Cabernets, vinified en barrique.

As indicated there is a single red wine, the fruit sourced from well-established vineyards of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The former is aged 35-40 years, the latter between 30-50 years, and the terroir a mix of schist, clay, gravel and quartz. After pressing the fruit is fermented in large foudres before racking into barrels, where it undergoes malolactic before being left to rest on its fine lees for up to 12 months.

The strength of the domaine, however, is in the white wines, mainly a collection of Anjou Blanc cuvées. In the 2008 vintage these kick off with a generic Anjou Blanc made from a blend of fruit from several plots including schist, gravel and clay, fermented and raised (as is the case for all of these wines) en fût, in this case for 12 months before bottling. Then comes Les Bonnes Blanches, a well recognised subregion of the Coteaux du Layon appellation (Vincent Ogereau bottles a very convincing cuvée, as did the Jo Pithon of old) within which five parcels amounting to 2.5 hectares belong to Agnès and René. The soils are sand, clay and green schist and the vines 35-years old, so this is a significant step up (both in terms of origin, but this is evident on tasting too) from the generic cuvée. In addition there is also a Cuvée BB, also from Bonnes Blanches, the fruit sourced from 0.68 hectares of the oldest Mosse vines. Finally for dry white cuvées in 2008 comes Arena, a Savennières sourced from 0.45 hectares of vines planted in 2002 on soils of wind-blown sands and schist near the Moulin de Beaupréau. The vines only came into the ownership of Agnès and René in 2007, after they purchased the land from Eric Morgat. As is the case with Anjou, the fruit here is hand-picked and the fermentation en fût with 12 months élevage.

In other vintages Agnès and René have produced a broader range of wines, including a number of site-specific Anjou Blanc cuvées, such as Rouchefer from a 1.7-hectare plot of 35-year-old vines, Marie Besnard from a 1-hectare plot of 65-year-old vines and La Joute, from 70-year-old vines. There may also on occasion be a Coteaux du Layon in the range, as was the case in 2007 with Le Champ Boucault, and sometimes a pure Chardonnay vin de table simply christened René's Chard.

Tasting the most recent releases, I found the wines of Domaine Mosse wines to be expressive, pure, rich and yet fresh. It is wonderful to find a domaine that clearly cares so much for their vineyards and vines, but isn't prepared to sacrifice the quality of the eventual wine for an 'ultra-natural' status. The Mosse philosophy involves natural fermentation with minimal intervention, but with the judicious use of sulphur (the individual fiches techniques provided by the domaine give information on sulphur concentrations, usually in the order of 40-50 mg/l) Agnès and René prevent the rampant oxidation that is found in the wines of some other natural winemakers. These are wines to buy with confidence, although I would recommend spending up from the generic Anjou for one of the specific Anjou cuvées or indeed the Savennières, which give much more for your money. (9/3/10)

Contact details:
Address: 4, rue de la Chauvière, 49750 St Lambert du Lattay
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 41 66 52 88
Fax: +33 (0) 2 41 68 22 10
Internet: www.domaine-mosse.com

Domaine Mosse - Tasting Notes

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Domaine Mosse Achillée Rosé (Vin de Table de France) 2009: A blend of Grolleau, Gamay and both Cabernets, and the 2009 vintage (although this is not declared on the label). A wine made from skin contact, not a saignée off a red wine, and deeply coloured in appearance. The nose is quite solid and relatively ungiving, but the palate is more generous. There is some residual sugar here, a touch sweet but with tingling acidity as a counterbalance. All the same, not enough vibrancy for me to strongly recommend it. 15.5/20 (February 2010)

Domaine Mosse Anjou Blanc 2008: This is an assemblage from young vines planted in 2001 and 2002. The nose is gently expressive, although as it warms (it was poured ice cold) in the glass it reveals a soft style of autumnal apples, a character which also comes through on the palate accompanied by a lot of grip. Pleasing substance, plenty of acidity too. It has a nice structure although a rather soft, unfocused fruit character. 15+/20 (February 2010)

Domaine Mosse Anjou Blanc Les Bonnes Blanches 2008: Made from 35-year-old vines. This is a real step up; the nose has some lovely, defined, honeyed and crystalline fruit. Good substance and vigour on the palate, more so than the jeunes vignes cuvée, showing gently floral white fruit. Well structured, vigorous, textured but linear fruit with just a gently honeyed and dried fruit edge. Good acidity, and an appealing sappy finish. 16.5+/20 (February 2010)

Domaine Mosse Savennières Arena 2008: A greater depth and polish to the fruit here, overall a very appealing style. Rich and a touch honeyed, with a dried-fruit character, but seemingly defined and lively too. The palate is a little more subdued than expected with such an expressive nose, but there is a lot of substance through the midpalate. A defined style, quite bold, typical of the appellation, leaning towards a modern style. Grippy finish though, and will benefit from some cellar time. 17+/20 (February 2010)

Domaine Mosse Anjou Rouge 2008: A blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Very fresh on the nose, with very typical aromatic fruit. The palate has a good, pure, cherry stone and damson style with good substance. Clearly very sensitively extracted, with a fine stony substance beneath the texture. Supple but ripe and structured, with good tannin in the finish. 16+/20 (February 2010)