• Famille Ogereau

    • Anjou Rouge Côte de la Houssaye

    At a Glance

    • Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
    • Surface Area: 1.7 ha (4.20 ac)
    • Vine Age: Planted in 1961 (70%) and 2005 (30%)
    • Terroir: East of Saint Lambert du Lattay, on a hillside overlooking the Hyrôme (a small tributary of the Layon), southeast-facing, surrounded by hedges, woods and a steep road (the “Côte”) running down to the river. Shallow, stony, sand and silt soil with Briovarian sandstone schist (known locally as “Metagrauwacke”).
    • Viticulture: Organic (Ecocert), biodynamic (Biodyvin). Manual de-budding and leaf thinning.
    • Vinification: 100% de-stemmed, ambient yeast fermentation in concrete tank, 3-week maceration, extraction by infusion (no pump-overs or breaking the cap), aged for 10-12 months in concrete eggs and 400-500 L barrels (0-15% new), filtered with diatomaceous earth.

    Additional Info

    The Côte de la Houssaye is the domaine’s most remarkable terroir. It overlooks the wild valley of the Hyrôme and its water mill, the one belonging to Vincent's great-grandfather, a miller who later became a winemaker when he founded the estate at the end of the 19th century.

    Emmanuel’s grandfather, Francis Ogereau, planted the vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1960s to produce rosé. However, his son Vincent was quickly convinced of the exceptional potential of this terroir to produce a great red and so began to do so as of the 2000 vintage. Another neighboring plot was replanted with Cabernet Sauvignon in 2005, and is included in the cuvée as of the 2009 vintage.

    When one thinks of reds in the Loire, one naturally thinks of Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon has been widely planted in Anjou since the beginning of the 20th century; however, and very sadly, this has mainly been to produce rosés. Côte de la Houssaye proves that this is one of the great red grape varieties of the Anjou Noir, perfectly taming the austerity from the schists and lack of available water.