Eric Morgat
Eric Morgat is today recognised as one of the leading vignerons in the Savennières appellation, although like the similarly talented Damien Laureau Eric started with close to nothing, and this recognition has been hard-won. This is despite the fact Eric was born into a winemaking family, the latest generation in a long line of vignerons. None of his forebears ever owned vines in Savennières though; previous generations tended vines in the Coteaux du Layon appellation, his grandfather having acquired Château de Breuil in 1959. It would perhaps have been only natural for Eric to follow in the family footsteps and take over the running of this domaine, but he chose to beat a different path instead. He moved north, crossing the Loire, and instead started to put down roots in the Savennières appellation.
The move came in 1995, shortly after Eric had returned to the family domaine following the completion of his studies. He had only been back one month when the touch-paper was lit with the offer of a tiny parcel of land in Savennières, which he decided to buy. Shortly afterwards, making good use of his family’s contacts in the region, Eric then acquired a somewhat larger parcel. This later acquisition was to form the core of his new domaine, as it included not only 1.5 hectares of vines but also a cave, some equipment and a small house. The property lay at the foot of the Roche-aux-Moines; Morgat soon moved in and began to make his wine, marketing them under the label of Domaine de la Monnaie.
