Evelyne de Pontbriand, proprietor of Domaine du Closel in Savennières, passed away on November 5th 2024. Having taken the helm of the family’s domaine more than twenty years ago, she was responsible for a significant improvement in the domaine’s wines, and was a figurehead both for the appellation and its trademark variety.

Evelyne de Pontbriand was born, in 1950, into a noble winemaking family. A descendent of the Las Cases family, she was one of two children born to Michèle Bazin de Jessey, who herself was the granddaughter of Madeleine de Las Cases. It was when Madeleine’s elder sister Marque de Las Cases – who had originally been charged with the running of the family domaine in Savennières – died without an heir that the domaine passed to Michèle. In 2001 it became Evelyne’s responsibility.

In taking this on Evelyne had some big shoes to fill. It was Michèle who had rechristened the family estate Domaine du Closel, and she was a formidable figure – a grande dame, in charge of one of the ‘grande dame‘ estates of the appellation, a historic property with a presence and position in the appellation to match Château de Chamboureau, Château d’Epiré, Château de la Roche aux Moines and Domaine aux Moines, and she had been the first ever female president of a growers’ syndicat in all France. Faced with this daunting task, it turned out Evelyne (pictured in 2019) was more than up to it.

A teacher by training, Evelyne returned home to Savennières to take the domaine in hand. Over the next two decades she moved into organic viticulture, and the harvest precision was improved upon, with a greater number of tries, and much less botrytis in the mix. Meanwhile the cellars were entirely overhauled, the élevage moved from cuve to barrel, and the shift up in quality was tangible. Tasting every vintage in a vertical with Evelyne back in 2017 this seemed to me to be undeniable.

Beyond the work in vineyard and cellars, Evelyne eclipsed the achievements of her mother. She was president of the Savennières appellation from 2008 until 2016, more recently co-president with Loïc Mahé. She founded, with Patrick Baudouin, the Académie du Chenin, and played a significant role in the annual Chenin Blanc conference. Her absence will no doubt be keenly felt at next year’s event, scheduled for July in the Loire Valley. She inspired others, including wine drinkers, sommeliers, merchants and vignerons, and became a globally recognised advocate for the appellation and the Chenin Blanc variety.

A walk I took with Evelyne around the town and vineyards of Savennières back in 2019 was memorable; as we ascended the slopes behind Domaine du Closel Evelyne regaled me with her history of Savennières, from the Middle Ages through to modern times, not just the vineyards but the families, their châteaux and gardens, a matter on which she was as knowledgeable as she was on her wines. She never lost that teacherly skill of gently enthusing others for her subject. Even so, this is not my favourite memory of Evelyne; that was at the Salon des Vins de Loire many years ago, when we first met. She poured me a taste, of the red she was making at that time if I recall correctly, and as the liquid splashed into the wine glass she exclaimed “this will bring some spice to your sandwich,” delivered with her trademark grin, which reflected her rich sense of wit. It was this, as much as her wines, which kept me coming back for more, and this is how I will remember her.

Evelyne, more formally known as Vicomtesse Gaël du Breil de Pontbriand, leaves a husband Vicomte Gaël and four children, Isaure, Gersende, Romuald and Aymeric. I send the family my sincerest condolences.

There will be a religious ceremony for Evelyne at the Église Saint-Pierre in Savennières on Tuesday 12th November at 14h30.