Domaine de Bois Mozé sits on a gorgeous old piece of property in between the Loire Valley cities of Anjou and Saumur. With a castle from the year 1400 as their landmark, this wine estate began in 19230, but took on new ownership in 1996, when the shift in farming and quality production really began. With 38 hectares of vines (primarily around the castle, the winery boasts incredible terroir, with unique schist soils, clay and limestone blends (unique for Anjou), and spots with stones and sand. Since 2017 the estate has been certified in their organic practices that go back much further, and have also committed extensively to agroforestry and bringing new found balance and harmony to the land that has been 'effected' by the estate's presence for centuries; working in different ways like sheep grazing and bringing in bat communities to let nature recreate its ecosystem as much as possible. The range of wines is paired and dedicated to what their land grows best: Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau Noir, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
domaine de bois mozé 'terre de haut' anjou blanc
100% chenin blanc The Terres Haut Anjou Blanc comes from the estate’s 30-year-old Chenin Blanc vines where the soil is full of schist and sandy clay. The grapes are hand-harvested and then destemmed at the cellar, and then head to a soft pressing before entering concrete for fermentation with the ‘house’ pied de cuve. Paying close attention to the temperature is very important to the winery at this point, to ensure healthy activity as well as locking in wonderful aromatics and varietal character. After natural malolactic fermentation, the wine is racked and then remains in concrete for another 6 to 8 months before a light filtration and bottling. A 3-month rest is required to let the wine meld and relax a bit before release, and then once ready to open, the wine truly sings of the grape and the terroir. The nose is full of honeyed apples, pears, quince, wet stones, and wool, leading to an incredible fuller bodied mouth feel, with acidity-led vibrancy, crisp tree fruit, and extraordinary length. Gastronomic as well as gulpable, this Chenin is a lovely representation of Anjou. |
domaine de bois mozé 'rose emoi'
cabernet franc & pinot noir The Rosé Emoi comes from the gorgeous vineyards that surround the castle and winery, 30-year-old hand-harvested Pinot Noir (60%) and Cabernet Franc (40%). The grapes came to the cellar and were softly pressed, and began separate fermentations in stainless steel, where the fermented wine also rested for 3 months before blending and bottling. Bringing in the Pinot Noir for its fresh and bright fruit, clean acidity, and light mouth feel, it accompanies the darker and spicy hues of Cabernet Franc. After the wine is bottled and released to the market in the spring, the result is a lovely, low alcohol light pink rosé. Aromatics of raspberry, red currants, spice, and saline, lead to a delightful palate that is very fresh and drinkable, with red fruits, minerality, ample acidity, and a juicy finish that begs for food, friends, and conversation. |
domaine de bois mozé 'les terres rouges' 100% cabernet franc
The Les Terres Rouges Cabernet Franc is the estate’s classic example of their unique terroir in the Loire, and how it is perfectly suited for this incredible variety. The 30-year-old vines are hand harvested and then the fruit is brought to the cellar and destemmed before they begin fermentation in concrete vats. After about 3 weeks when both fermentations (alc & malo) are complete, the wine is racked and placed back into concrete for 6 months before it is lightly filtered and bottled, ready for its evolution in bottle before it is released to the market. The final wine is lovely on the nose, full of spice and brambly dark berries, violets, and roasted peppers. The mouth feel has a nice balance to it, full of fresh fruit with a light lift, but with a grip and texture that keeps the wine serious. With flavors that echo the aromatics, this red opens well with some air, and has a delicious finish that lasts for a long time in the mouth. |
domaine de bois mozé 'le champ noir' 100% cabernet franc
The ‘Le Champ Noir’ Cabernet Franc is the Villages bottling of the estate’s Anjou grapes. A phenomenal vintage that now has lovely bottle age on it; this is a true delight from the winery. The 30-year-old vines were hand-harvested, destemmed, and began fermentation in concrete vats with the estate’s pied de cuve. The grapes were softly pressed and put back in the concrete where it aged for 20 months before bottling, in June of 2016. After aging in the cellar for another 6 years, this special release is drinking beautifully now, even though it could still age for more years to come. On the nose there are sweet raspberries, hints of mint, and a perfect amount of green vegetable pyroxenes. On the attack, the dark brambly fruit rushes in, but is backed quickly by minerality, soft earth, and violets. A very elegant and complex Cabernet Franc, it showcases the Anjou terroir and its depth, but with a bit of the limestone freshness of Saumur. |
domaine de bois mozé 'lulu' 100% grolleau noir The Domaine de Bois Mozé ‘Lulu’ is a unique and tiny production wine for the estate, taking advantage of a small parcel of fruit, for the creation of a 100% Grolleau Noir. This grape that once thrived in Loire, now only represents a little over 2,000 hectares of land in the entire region, and hopefully it makes its rightfully owed comeback. The grapes were hand-harvested and destemmed and then went through alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in a concrete vat, with a gentle pressing after about 10 days. The wine settled at cold temperatures and rested for 3 months in stainless steel before it was bottled with a light filtration. This wine never saw any additions of sulfites, and is a raw and beautiful representation of this dark red-berried grape. The aromatics of the finished wine are mesmerizing, full of black fruits, sour cherry, bittering spices, and fresh herbs. In the mouth, the acidity is vibrant, accompanying the fresh fruit character and exciting spice, and giving texture where the tannins and alcohol do not. A compelling wine that is enjoyable all on its own, or will match wonderfully with seafood dishes and sausages from the grill. |
domaine de bois mozé cremant de loire 'tradition'
100% chenin blanc The ‘Tradition’ Cremant Blanc de Noir is a wonderful expression of the estate’s 30-year-old Chenin Blanc vines in sparkling form, showcasing the unique schist soils of the estate. After a hand harvest, the grapes went directly to the press, and then began the first fermentation in stainless steel with the estate’s own pied de cuve. This lasted about a month, as the temperatures were paid careful attention to, keeping them low so that the retention of aromatics and varietal character were at their fullest, as well as watching the oxidation closely to keep the grape at its best. The wine was then aged for 4 months in concrete vat until it was bottled in February of 2018, and aged slowly on its lees until it was disgorged on December 15th, 2021, when it saw a dosage of 7.5g/l of grape juice, not sugar. The result of this traditional method sparkling is gorgeous on the nose and the palate, showcasing quince, apple, brioche, and honey, and loaded with crisp acidity and intriguing minerality. Fresh and long in the mouth, this is a wonderfully gastronomic Cremant, meant to be shared with friends around the table. |
domaine de bois mozé 'desirée anne' cremant de loire
cabernet franc & grolleau noir The ‘Désirée Anne’ Cremant Rosé is a show stopping Cremant that comes from a beautiful 30-year-old vineyard, and is predominately Cabernet Franc (90%) and Grolleau Noir (10%). After the hand-harvesting, the grapes came to the cellar and went directly to press, resulting in a pale rosé color that only kissed the skins for a few moments before moving onto stainless steel for a month long co-fermentation. During this time, a careful eye is used to ensure that the activity of yeasts are working vigorously while the low temps help to create phenomenal aromatics, and great varietal character. The wine was then aged for 4 months in concrete vat until it was bottled in February of 2018, and aged slowly on its lees until it was disgorged on December 15th, 2021, when it saw a dosage of 7.5g/l of grape juice, not sugar. The resulting bubbles are stunning in the nose, with a beautiful red berry fruit that has been doused in confectionary sugar, giving a lovely marshmallow quality that also seems to find itself in the texture of the mouth. The spicy fruit on the palate has wonderful freshness and acidity, and continues through to a very long finish and is well suited for many cuisines. |