In the village of Panzoult, tucked into the Touraine Azay-le-Rideau appellation in the Loire Valley, four friends decided that the best wines are the ones you open together. Nicolas Grosbois, Philippe Mesnier, Baptiste Lardeux, and Vivien Blot launched Les Tètes in 2011 with a simple creed: make honest, organic wine for people who love wine — not for the cellar.
Backstory
Nicolas Grosbois is already a recognized vigneron in Chinon, and his cellar in Panzoult became the home base for the collective project. The name is intentionally playful — Les Tètes translates loosely as "the heads," a nod to the camaraderie and free thinking behind the label. From the outset the four sourced grapes from their own biodynamically farmed parcels and from trusted organic growers across France, keeping prices accessible without cutting corners in the vineyard or cellar.
The Region
Les Tètes is based in Panzoult, in the heart of Touraine, a few kilometers from Chinon, not far from the birthplace of Honoré de Balzac. The Loire Valley soils here range from tuffeau limestone to sandy gravel, lending the wines a characteristic freshness and mineral lift.
Vineyards and Farming
Les Tètes grapes are grown organically and biodynamically, hand-harvested, and selected from sites across the Loire and, increasingly, from partner growers elsewhere in France. The portfolio draws on a wide range of varieties: Chenin Blanc, Grolleau, Pineau d'Aunis, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, and others depending on the cuvée.
Winemaking
Les Tètes ferments with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks. The wines are not fined, not filtered, and receive minimal or no added sulfur. The goal is to let variety and place speak clearly, without over-handling in the cellar.
The Wines
The Les Tètes lineup is deliberately straightforward. Tête Blanche and Tête Rouge anchor the range as the entry-point whites and reds, alongside single-variety bottlings of Grolleau, Pineau d'Aunis, and Chenin Blanc. Pétillant naturels round out the selection, including the Au Bois Dormant. The wines are widely distributed in the United States through Zev Rovine Selections.
