Anjou
Les Rouannières

Les Rouannières is an area of Beaulieu-sur-Layon in the heart of Anjou. The soil is composed exclusively of clay from weathered spilite (basic volcanism) which, although a hard rock, has the ability to disintegrate. The depth of the soil varies between 10 to 20 cm and 60 to 80 cm at deepest.
The influence of winds is significant, as a result of the wide open setting of the vineyard (180-degree view of the horizon, 15 to 20 kilometres away). In fact, for several centuries, this ridge was known for its windmills.
All of the Rouannières site, with its frail rocky outcrops, stands out as an arid and wild part of the wine region with an original microclimate enhanced by a remarkable reserve of plant life; about sixty Mediterranean plants are found here, at their most northerly limit in Europe, including several protected varieties such as the Plantago holosteum, Wild tulip, Gagea bohemica or early star of Bethlehem. The mountain cicada, a family of eagles and a few rare butterflies have also made their home here.
The hardness of the spilite and the harshness of the rocky soil are expressed in the density of the wine and in the fact that it opens up slowly. Wines from Les Rouannières are always mineral, aromatically lively, dense on the palate, and slow to open, but never austere thanks to the original nature of the clay. The absence of schist removes all bitterness.