Before they made a single bottle, Agnes and Rene Mosse ran a wine bar in Tours. Pouring the wines of the Loire's natural-wine vanguard convinced them to cross the counter and become vignerons themselves.
Backstory
At their Tours bistro, the couple met influential growers including Francois Chidaine and Christian Chaussard. Inspired, they studied viticulture and oenology at the agricultural school in Amboise, then bought their estate in Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay in 1999, starting with 9.5 hectares. The domaine has since grown to around 17 hectares, and the Mosses became central figures in Anjou's rise as a capital of natural wine.
The Region
The estate lies in the Coteaux-du-Layon area of Anjou, in the so-called Anjou Noir. The vineyards sit on shallow soils of schist, sandstone, and clay, shot through with quartz, the dark bedrock that defines the western Loire.
Vineyards & Farming
The Mosses farmed organically from their first vintage in 1999 and adopted biodynamic methods from 2001. The vineyards are centered on Chenin Blanc, around 9 hectares, and Cabernet Franc, around 3 hectares, with smaller plantings of Gamay, Grolleau, and Chardonnay. They plow the soils, use biodynamic preparations, and encourage spontaneous vegetation between the rows.
Winemaking
Fermentations run on native yeasts with no added yeast and minimal intervention. The wines ferment and age in barrel and foudre with extended lees contact and very low sulfur. Sons Joseph and Sylvestre joined in the early 2010s and have led the winemaking since 2014, adding experimental cuvees under a negociant license alongside the estate range.
The Wines
The portfolio showcases Chenin Blanc in dry and characterful styles from Saint-Lambert, Beaulieu-sur-Layon, and Savennieres, vibrant Cabernet Franc reds, and a cast of energetic, easy-drinking cuvees that helped define the modern Loire natural-wine style.
