Benoit Lalanne

History of the Benoît Lalanne estate

Benoît Lalanne's path to the vine is one of complete and passionate career change. A trained medical biologist, he decided to leave a profession whose evolution no longer suited him, in order to turn to viticulture and the contact with the land. His passion for Loire wines, and in particular for Richard Leroy's Chenins, naturally guided him towards Montbenault. He undertook a training course in viticulture and oenology at the Institut Agro de Dijon, by distance learning, while working for three years alongside Richard Leroy, the tutelary figure of Anjou Chenin, whose neighbouring parcel he also became on this legendary terroir.

In 2022, Benoît produced his first vintage after obtaining 70 ares on the Noëls de Montbenault hillside, a parcel ceded by Joël Ménard of Domaine des Sablonnettes, farmed organically for many years. From 2023, he expanded his vineyard with the acquisition of two additional parcels on Les Quarts des Noëls, planted in 1962 and 1964, allowing him to produce a second distinct cuvée. Richard Leroy continues to accompany and advise him in his winemaking, ensuring a precious transmission of the know-how of this exceptional terroir.

Terroirs and Vines of the Benoît Lalanne estate

The parcels of Benoît Lalanne are located on two adjoining lieux-dits of the Montbenault hillside, in Faye-d'Anjou, in Anjou: Les Noëls de Montbenault and Les Quarts des Noëls. Les Noëls de Montbenault rest on a soil of rhyolite, a light and ancient volcanic rock, particularly rich in quartz, which lends the wines a mineral precision, a pronounced salinity and an electric tension characteristic of this terroir. This rare volcanic terroir is one of the most mythical in the entire Loire, shared with Richard Leroy whose Chenins have acquired worldwide renown. Les Quarts des Noëls present a slightly different profile, with a slightly more clayey soil yet also very rich in quartz, yielding wines that are deeper and richer in their expression.

Benoît tends his vines using biodynamic methods, with a rigorous and demanding approach: severe pruning and de-budding to drastically limit yields to a maximum of 10 to 12 bunches per vine, respectful soil management, and the pursuit of precise, on-the-edge ripeness in order to harvest before any onset of botrytis. Harvesting is exclusively manual. The vineyard, made up of several parcels with old vines, covers a very small total area, which explains the extreme rarity of the volumes produced.

Winemaking at the Benoît Lalanne estate

Benoît Lalanne's winemaking is faithful to the spirit of the Montbenault terroir and to the teaching received from Richard Leroy: absolute minimalism, pure expression of rock and fruit. The grapes are harvested as whole bunches, pressed directly in a pneumatic press, followed by a light natural settling overnight. The juices begin their fermentation in tanks on indigenous yeasts, and once the fermentation dynamic is well established, they are transferred to Burgundian 228-litre barrels for the remainder of the ageing. No sulphur is added at any stage of the winemaking.

For Les Noëls de Montbenault, ageing in barrels (including one third new barrels) lasts approximately 12 months, after which the wine is racked for blending and continues its bulk ageing in stainless steel tanks for approximately 6 months. For Les Quarts des Noëls, ageing combines new and old barrels depending on the vintage, for a result that is both concentrated and mineral. The wines are bottled without fining or filtration. The legal classification is Vin de France, the winemaker having chosen this freedom of denomination to fully express his vision without the constraints of an appellation.

The cuvées of the Benoît Lalanne estate

Les Noëls de Montbenault: The estate's flagship cuvée, sourced from parcels resting on the light volcanic rhyolite of Les Noëls de Montbenault, in 100% Chenin blanc. Manual harvesting of whole bunches without botrytis, direct pressing, fermentation and ageing on lees in Burgundian barrels for 12 months, then in stainless steel tanks for 6 months, without added sulphur. The colour is a brilliant and intense gold. The nose is expressive and complex, combining ripe white fruits, quince jelly, autolytic cereal notes (warm bread, toasted sesame) and a subtle noble reduction on opening. The palate is slender and powerful, carried by a ripe acidity and a marked mineral salinity, with an interminable finish of noble bitter notes of pomelo and orange peel. An exceptional wine for ageing, in the purest style of the Montbenault terroir, directly inspired by the touch of Richard Leroy.

Les Quarts des Noëls: A cuvée sourced from the two old-vine parcels of Les Quarts des Noëls, planted in 1962 and 1964, on more clayey soils yet also very rich in quartz. This medium-sweet Chenin is made from partially botrytised bunches, vinified on indigenous yeasts and aged for 12 months in Burgundian barrels (combining new and old barrels), without added sulphur. It offers an aromatic palette of incomparable breed and complexity: quince chutney and fresh mirabelle plums, autolytic cereal notes, warm bread, toasted sesame, chalky nuances and white pepper. The palate is profoundly mineral, at once lively and savoury, with a sweetness balanced by an acid and saline framework of great nobility. An exceptional medium-sweet Chenin, produced in tiny quantities on one of the Loire's rarest volcanic terroirs.