November 08, 2023 - Featured Winemaker - No comment
Domaine des Frères: Valentin Bruneau's Wild Adventure. Domaine des Frères was born in October 2019, on the small hillsides of the Véron, in Chinon (Loire), the land of Cabernet Franc. Since then, Valentin Bruneau has been through COVID-19, misfortune, dazzling success, and finally, a family breakup. And the story is still only at the beginning...
The Art of Taking One's Time
Before settling down, Valentin Bruneau did a lot of traveling: in the Beaujolais region, then in Vouvray, where he trained in animal traction (the art of using animals in transport and agricultural work). In Chinon, he spent two years working for Domaine Baudry (Mathieu). "I took my time... I only wanted good plots. And to access them, there's only one way: drinking with the old-timers. After two years, we knew who owned all the vines. And that's how we found our little jewel.
His grail: vines "on the high ground" rather than on the sandy "low ground." On the slopes, the fine clay produces finer wines "to be drunk younger." Today, the Domaine des Frères comprises 8.5ha of vines spread over seven parcels, including a section on the Picasses, the most respected terroir in this area. Valentin also sets aside four "micro-parcels," including Peru, a piece of the vineyard surrounded by pine and oregano, and a Mediterranean enclave in the land of Rabelais.
The Emotional Rollercoaster
The beginning is challenging, as it should be. To begin with, convincing the banks to finance the creation of the estate was an obstacle course. Once launched, the plan "was to sell grapes the first year" to replenish the limited cash flow. "But that was the year of the COVID: by 2020, no one was buying grapes." So making wine, it is...
"We let people taste. Wine shop owner Jean-Charles Haley introduced them to Antoine Gerbelle, as he often does, and within a month, we were mentioned in Le Monde newspaper and on France Inter (national French radio)." Overnight, the orders flew in. "It's a crazy story! We were so broke we didn't even have a forklift" to load the pallets ordered.
What followed went from optimism to pain. Just after the 2022 harvest, Valentin's brother Henry left the domaine, that they had created together, angry, to go and work in Vouvray. Domaine des Frères continued, with an employee replacing Henry, and the surface area reduced from 11.2ha to 8.5ha. But the rift remained. "For my wife Marie and me, it was very violent," sighs Valentin. "But there are still great memories we'll never forget.
« I took my time... I only wanted good plots. And to get access to them, there's only one way: drinking with the old-timers. After two years, we knew who owned all the vines.»
— Valentin Bruneau.
Terroir First
Don't talk to him about amphorae, or even winemaking techniques. Valentin only wants to talk about terroir. Expressing the diversity of Chinon terroirs (not yet recognized in the specifications), "how the same grape variety expresses itself in different soils," is the mission he has set himself.
In the vineyard, it's "organic and more". He works with a quad bike "to avoid compacting the soil", and is always the first to harvest. "At night, with a headlamp if necessary, otherwise the grapes come out 'hard'. Of course, "we were initially considered quite 'original' locally. There was a bit of pressure, but it's calmed down now."
In the cellar, this results in parcel-based cuvées like Pérou (Aeolian sands and flint), "the simplest wine, but the most effective". Or Moulins de Beaupuy (fine clays, yellow tuffeau), "to be left to mature for a few years, for a perfect fusion of aromas and chalky tannins". Of course, everything is natural, with only "1 g SO2/hl the day before bottling, except for the micro-cuvées". Not very forthcoming about his vinification methods', the winemaker explains that he handles Cabernet Franc with precision to prevent its rustic side from overtaking the terroir. The secret: "being slow".
Where to find Domaine des Frères' wines ?
(list non exhaustive)
- Caen : Les Mets Chais, 26 Rue des Jacobins, 14000 Caen, France - 02 31 26 20 34
- Paris : La cave de Belleville, 51 Rue de Belleville, 75019 Paris, France - 01 40 34 12 95
- Tours : La Vinothèque, 16 Rue Michelet, 37000 Tours, France - 02 47 64 75 27
Wines by Domaine des Frères
Domaine des Frères - Red Wines
- Pérou 2022, parcel-based cuvée. Plenty of substance and not too much complexity, but thirst-quenching freshness. Efficient.
- Les Moulins de Beaupuy 2021. Can be drunk now... but will benefit from a few years in the cellar.
- Pucelles 2022. A sunny wine, with good chewiness, but still delicate.
- La Roche Bobreau 2020. The wood (from old barrels) is still present on this wine, which glides like a syrup.
