Domaine Amirault - Agnès & Xavier Amirault
Based in Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil, in the heart of the Loire vineyards, our estate has been the cradle of the Amirault family for more than 180 years and today carried by Agnès and Xavier.
The CLOS DES QUARTERONS is above all a history of men and women, where diversity and respect for life are priorities. A team with varied backgrounds, with complementary personalities.
The estate's vines extend on gentle slopes facing south and enjoy optimal sunshine. The forest in the North offers a nice shelter against the violent and cold winds. The soils where our vines are rooted are made up of alluvium and gravel.
The vines located on the hillsides are rooted in limestone and clay with flint. The rest of the plots of the first terrace are on sandy and gravelly soils. The plots have a clay base that gives great characteristics to their wines. The microclimate of the region makes it a perfect terroir for growing grapes.
Organic farming but above all a vineyard conducted in Biodynamics (DEMETER) and plot vinifications allow to appreciate the very expression of the terroir. More than a philosophy, the joy that invades us when we see biodiversity reveal itself on a daily basis is indescribable...
In order to be able to produce lively wines that surprise us with each vintage, we have this strong desire to respect the environment.
To preserve it, we work the vines with common sense and simplicity. It is in this constant search to maintain a natural balance throughout the estate (37 Ha), that we have chosen to cultivate our vineyard according to the precepts of "biodynamic agriculture". Respectful of life, it goes well beyond simple specifications. The ecosystem is at the center of energies from the Earth (roots) and Space (flowers, leaves and fruits).
From this simple environmental logic stems the daily rhythm of the people who work at Clos des Quarterons.
Given that soil microbiology allows both successful fermentations in the cellar and without a "technological crutch", maintaining a healthy habitat in the vineyard to preserve "life" is fundamental for us. This microbiological life follows the grape to the cellar, transforms the juice and even makes its way to the final bottled wine.
Our wines are therefore, literally, living wines from living soils.
For us, Biodynamics represents much more than a cultural practice, it is above all a philosophy, a "way of life": A virtuous system, where Man and Nature are one and where balance is constantly sought.
"There is not Man on one side and Nature on the other... Man is Nature" Pierre Rabhi