Domaine de Montgilet: Vineyards
Domaine de Montgilet lies in an unexpectedly suburban location, almost equidistant between the waters of the Loire and the Aubance, in the commune of Juigné-sur-Loire. Today there are 37 hectares of vines, a significant expansion from the 1.5 hectares once farmed by the more senior of the three Victors. Of this land one-third is planted to Chenin Blanc, one-third to Cabernet Franc, and the rest to a mélange of other Loire Valley varieties, including Grolleau, Gamay and Sauvignon Blanc. With such ancient vineyards it is hardly surprising that there should be a healthy proportion of old vines, with some over 90 years of age.
The soils are largely schistose, this being a fairly common soil type around Juigné-sur-Loire. There are various types of schist, including blue, grey and purple, as well as shale and clay in some parts. These different schists are very pertinent to a number of single-vineyard cuvées, which I examine further down the page.
The work in the vineyard is reasoned, with weed-control achieved by working the soil and planting cover crops between the rows. Yields are controlled by pruning, down to six buds in the case of the Coteaux de l’Aubance vines, and vineyard treatments follow the principles of lutte raisonnée. There is no stated intention for organics or biodynamics at the moment.
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