User:Kennygalloway/Domaine du Closel Château des Vaults

Domaine du Closel - Château des Vaults is a family-run, organic winery and vineyard, located in Savennières in the Loire Valley of France. The small village is situated on the north bank of the Loire River about 11 miles southwest of the city of Angers. The estate produces white, red and sparkling wine, including the following AOCs : Savennières, Anjou-Villages, Anjou Rouge, Cabernet d'Anjou, and Crémant de Loire. Many critics consider Domaine du Closel to be one of the top producers of fine wine in the Loire Valley.

History
Domaine du Closel - Château des Vaults, one the largest producers in Savennières, has been producing wine since 1495. In the beginning of the 20th century Marque de Las Cases, a descendant of Napoleon's official biographer, Count de Las Cases, inherited the estate, which is home to the Château des Vaults, the wine making facilities and 16 hectares of vines. The name Château des Vaults dates back to the middle ages. In old French, vault meant valley and thus the name refers to the small valleys in which the château and the vineyards are located. The name Domaine du Closel was added more recently to pay homage to Bernard du Closel, who was Mayor of Savennières from 1916 to 1956 and founder of the Savennières wine growing appellation in 1952. Bernard du Closel was the husband of Marque de Las Cases. Since Marque de Las Cases and Bernard du Closel had no children, they transferred the estate to their niece, Michèle de Jessey. In 2001 Michèle de Jessey retired and her daughter, Evelyne de Pontbriand, took over the management and wine making responsibilities.

Viticulture
Domaine du Closel manages three major grape varietals among its 16 hectares of vines, including Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The age of the vines is between 5 and 75 years. Since 2006 Domaine du Closel has been managing all 16 hectares of vines using organic wine making practices, obtaining official certification in 2009. Currently the estate is experimenting with biodynamic agriculture.

Wine Making
In the cellar, all Domaine du Closel wines are vinified using virtually the same wine making techniques. The key distinctions among the wines are a result of the different terroirs, grape varietal blends, and the ageing process, known as élevage in French. The frequency of the bâtonnage, or stirring of the lees, as well as the amount of time in oak barrels, vary among each one of Domaine du Closel's different bottlings.

Wines
Domaine du Closel's focus is on producing dry Savennières, a white wine made from Chenin Blanc. The estate owns three parcels, designated for Savennières AOC production: La Jalousie, Les Caillardières, and Clos du Papillon. From each of these three parcels, the estate produces a different cuvée or special bottling, which bares the name of the parcel. In terms of the different soil types, the La Jalousie parcel is dominated by schist. Les Caillardières consists of loose sand over a schist base. The Clos du Papillon is the highest quality and most complex parcel, consisting of volcanic rock, schist and quartz. Deeper down in the Clos du Papillon soil, clay dominates the clay-sandstone-schist base.

The distinct terroirs result in three distinct wines. La Jalousie is generally more discrete and green, compared to the stronger, more tropical Les Caillardières, and the more complex and elegant Clos du Papillon. In addition to Savennières wine, Domaine du Closel also has a more limited production of Cabernet-based Anjou-Villages, Anjou Rouge, and Cabernet d'Anjou, as well as Crémant de Loire, a sparkling white and rosé.

Awards

 * Gold Medal 2004 - International Wine Challenge
 * Gold Medal 2004 - International Wine & Spirit Competition
 * Silver Medal 2004 - Decanter World Wine Awards
 * Silver Medal 2005 - International Wine & Spirit Competition
 * Silver Medal 2005 - Concours Générale Agricole
 * Gold Medal 2009 - Millésime Bio
 * Les Meilleurs Vins de France 2009 - La Revue du Vin de France