Domaine du Closel: Vineyards
The total area available for planting at Domaine du Close is 23.5 hectares, although in the time I have known the domaine the area actually planted to vines has never come anywhere close to this figure. Perhaps this reflected Evelyne’s inability to invest in the property as she would have liked? The highest figure I ever noted was 16.9 hectares, a figure provided by Evelyne some years ago. By the time the Tribunal Judiciaire d’Angers issued a sale notice for the business in December 2025 the area planted to vines was sitting at 14.4 hectares, although in the subsequent judgements only 12 hectares were described. These 12 hectares incorporate some notable parcels, including a section in the famed Clos du Papillon.
As noted in my history of this property, under the direction of Evelyne de Jessey-Pontbriand these vineyards were converted to organic viticulture, just one step in her project to revitalise the domaine, and the appellation as a whole. Full organic certification from Ecocert was obtained in 2007. From the 2015 vintage onwards, Evelyne began adherence to an entirely biodynamic philosophy, and the domaine was certified biodynamic, by Biodyvin, from 2017. Although I give as much detail as I can on the vineyards (below) and the winemaking (on the next page), you may also like to read of Evelyne’s work in her own words, as reported after a Visit to Domaine du Closel in 2017.
