La Ferme de la Sansonnière, 2023 Update
There are few vignerons working the land along the banks of the Layon who could claim, while keeping a straight face, that they enjoy a cult following. But one who could, if he was so inclined, is Mark Angeli, of La Ferme de la Sansonnière. I make a point of tasting with the paysan solidaire, as he calls himself, every year, akin to my regular rendez-vous with Nicolas or Virginie Joly, as reported on yesterday.
For many years the mainstay of Mark’s range of wines has been La Lune, a cuvée assembled from several small parcels, including vines arranged in a crescent shape, like the moon. It was a prior employee of Mark’s, Stéphane Bernaudeau (who was since gone on to forge a strong reputation as a vigneron himself) who thus christened the cuvée La Lune. Mark also produces two single-vineyard cuvées, Les Fouchardes and Les Vieilles Vignes des Blanderies, and a less commonly encountered red and rosé. There are a few other cuvées (more on those in a moment), but of those so far mentioned it is La Lune I would tend to buy for my own cellar (the single-vineyard cuvées are also worth a punt, but they rarely came onto my radar).
I continue to enjoy drinking those bottles as they age, most recently the 2012 La Lune, which popped up in my Loire 2012 at Ten Years report earlier this week. Meanwhile I continue to regularly stop by to taste the younger vintages with Mark, who now works in a trio with his son Martial Angeli, and their associate Bruno Ciofi.
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