Terre de l’Élu: Vineyards
As I have already indicated the domaine is located on the outskirts of Saint-Aubin-de-Luigne, just down the road from Philippe Germain at Château de la Roulerie and its distinctive terraced vineyards. The vineyards are extensive, covering 20 hectares all told, most of which Thomas purchased, although a few parcels are rented. The vineyards are not gathered around the domaine, but are dotted across the nearby slopes in about thirty different parcels. These are scattered along the right bank of the Layon, starting upriver at Chaume, down through Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné and on to Ardenay and Chaudefonds-sur-Layon. They largely enjoy a south-facing aspect.
The terroir here is largely schist, various types of which dominate the Anjou landscape. The schists which make up the Unite de Saint-Georges and Unite de Saint-Mars-la-Jaille on the northern side of the Layon date largely from the Devonian and Ordovician eras, and they sit in bands several kilometres wide which run roughly parallel with the Layon down towards the Loire.
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