Les Noëls de Montbenault Chenin - Richard Leroy 2023

The Estate

Originally from the Vosges, based in the Paris region, with a degree in economics, Richard Leroy founded his estate with his wife Sophie in 1996, purchasing 2 hectares from a couple of winemakers, Mr. and Mrs. Chêné. Passionate about wine, he decided to change his life and settled in Anjou, in the Layon valley, in Rablay-sur-Layon. His first plot is located in the area known as Les Noëls de Montbenault. A few years later, it was complemented by a second plot, the Clos des Rouliers.

Today, Richard Leroy cultivates 2.7 hectares of Chenin and exclusively produces dry whites. From the beginning, Richard Leroy chose organic farming and biodynamics, convinced that these practices are the best way to express the nuances of his terroirs. This demanding winemaker aspires to "work the vine as simply as possible, because wine is nothing more than fermented grapes."

The estate has been certified organic since 2002 and produces very few bottles, rare and baroque cuvées, of great resonance, which can sometimes bewilder newcomers.