Clos des Breteches

What this young couple has achieved in just a few short years is nothing short of remarkable. Mélanie Grenouilleau and Romain Nicolas founded their estate - Clos des Bretèches - in 2021, and they’ve already become celebrated vignerons in the Loire. Further proof of their impact: their wines have barely touched British soil, yet demand is already outpacing the estate’s limited supply.

Prior to the creation of Bretèches, Melanie had been a PE teacher but retrained to be a winemaker. She went on to do harvest with Patrick Baudouin, then completed a year of apprenticeship at Emmanuel Ogereau's estate before joining the team at Ferme de la Sansonnière, alongside Mark and Martial Angeli. Meanwhile, Romain Nicolas began his journey in winemaking in 2011 after completing his BTS, working at Château du Breuil until 2018. He then went on to work with Domaine Richou, and when it changed ownership in 2020, he was appointed cellar master at Domaine Terra Vita Vinum, where he continues to work alongside Bretèches.

Located in the heartland of Anjou Noir, in Grand Bonnezeaux, the estate is named after their first vineyard – Clos des Bretèches. Under the guidance and encouragement of Mark Angeli, the couple took over this organically cultivated 1.2 ha site from Domaine Deboutbertin in 2020. With a few more sites added to the family, they now work 2.6ha.

 Mélanie and Romain’s 2.6ha estate is made up of three vineyards: Clos des Bretèches, Jauges and Les Belouines. They are located within the heart of tbe Anjou Noir subregion, with land that is made up of spilites and rhyolites, volcanic rocks rich in silica, contributing to the richness and longevity of their wines. They are certified organic. In the vineyard, they use minimal mechanization to avoid soil compaction, instead plowing with horses and carrying out annual soil cultivation. From trellising to harvest and everything in between, all the vineyard work is done by hand. In fact, similar to Sansonnière, they no longer prune but braid the vine tips.