New Arrivals from Vallée Moray

While working as a climate scientist, Hervé Grenier visited Montlouis a little over ten years ago with a casual interest in wine. There he discovered an intimate relationship between his studies in climate change and the effects apparent while farming the land. This, coupled with a love for Chenin Blanc, and the particular quality of terroir Montlouis offers this special grape, all led to his decision to pursue winemaking full-time and purchase a vineyard in the area. A far cry from his work in a lab in Paris, Hervé now tends 4.5 hectares of certified organic vines of Chenin Blanc with a small amount of Pinot Noir and Gamay.

With Montlouis being one of the more conservative appellations of the Loire Valley, Hervé gracefully manages to both push boundaries and also respect traditions, all while forging a unique identity for his wines. You can taste a real energy in the wines, but his attitude is also evident through his impact in the community. Since arriving in Montlouis, he has set up a cooperative to advise on, and organise, all agricultural treatments for all the organic farmers in the area, which has now grown to over 90 winemakers. 

His own vines have been certified organic since purchasing the domaine, and he has not felt the need to increase his holdings. The Chenin Blanc is densely planted on chalk and clay soils and has quite high yields, while his Pinot Noir and Gamay are over 60 years old and planted on a mixture of clay and limestone, with sandy soils. 

Hervé’s cellar is dark, cool and cavernous with tuffeau stone walls that softly slope downwards revealing two long rows of aged barrels. All rackings are done by gravity with fermentation primarily done here in barrique, with a preference for things to go slow. For élevage, the wines rest for at least a year in barrique and then for a time in stainless steel tank. The lees are only separated from the wine just before bottling, resulting in a richly textured style. Despite the challenging conditions of 2022 and 2023, Hervé crafts complex wines alive with robust fruit, structure, and fresh minerality that drink well on release, but are well-suited to further ageing. We are thrilled to introduce the wines to the UK for the first time!

The domaine Vallée Moray wines are available in our online shop. For trade inquires, please email sales@beattieandroberts.com.