Domaine de Villargeau: Vineyards
As I have already indicated in my introduction the domaine is located to the east of Cosne-sur-Loire. In an appellation where there are only about 200 hectares of vineyard established and in production, the 23 hectares Marc Thibault looks after is a significant slice of the total. Most of these 23 hectares are planted to Sauvignon Blanc, with only about one-quarter of the vineyard dedicated to red varieties, led by Pinot Noir which accounts for about 4 hectares, then Gamay comes in third place with just 1 hectare.
The soils are partly flinty, these soils being favoured for Sauvignon Blanc, while the Gamay and Pinot Noir tend to be planted on parcels richer in clay and limestone. The work in the vineyard is along the lines of lutte raisonnée, which approaches organic viticulture but allows for the limited and reasoned application of chemical treatments when and where deemed appropriate. The Thibault family have signed up to the environmental charter produced by Terra Vitis. They avoid the use of pesticides, and they either plant grass or work the soil as preferred methods of weed control.
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