Benoit Lalanne

History of Domaine Benoit Lalanne

Benoît Lalanne's path to the vineyard is a story of a complete and passionate career change. Trained as a medical biologist, he decided to leave a profession whose direction no longer suited him and turn to viticulture and working with the land. His passion for Loire wines, particularly Richard Leroy's Chenins, naturally drew him to Montbenault. He undertook distance-learning studies in viticulture and enology at the Institut Agro in Dijon while working alongside Richard Leroy for three years. A leading figure in Anjou Chenin, Leroy also became his neighbor in the vineyards of this legendary terroir.

In 2022, Benoît produced his first vintage after acquiring 70 ares on the Les Noëls de Montbenault hillside, a plot transferred by Joël Ménard of Domaine des Sablonnettes that had been farmed organically for many years. In 2023, he expanded his vineyard by acquiring two additional plots in Les Quarts des Noëls, planted in 1962 and 1964, enabling him to produce a distinct second cuvée. Richard Leroy continues to support and advise him on winemaking, passing on invaluable knowledge of this exceptional terroir.

Terroirs and vineyards of Domaine Benoit Lalanne

Benoît Lalanne's plots lie in two adjoining named sites on the Montbenault hillside in Faye-d'Anjou, Anjou: Les Noëls de Montbenault and Les Quarts des Noëls. Les Noëls de Montbenault sits on rhyolite, an ancient, pale volcanic rock particularly rich in quartz, which gives the wines mineral precision, pronounced salinity and a characteristic electric tension. This rare volcanic terroir is one of the most celebrated in the entire Loire and is shared with Richard Leroy, whose Chenins have gained worldwide renown. Les Quarts des Noëls has a slightly different profile, with somewhat more clay-rich soil that is also very rich in quartz, yielding wines with greater depth and a sweeter expression.

Benoît farms his vines biodynamically, with a rigorous, exacting approach: severe pruning and bud removal to limit yields drastically to no more than 10 to 12 clusters per vine, soil cultivation that respects living ecosystems, and a pursuit of precise, finely judged ripeness so he can harvest before any botrytis appears. Harvesting is exclusively by hand. The vineyard comprises several plots of mature vines but covers a very small total area, accounting for the extremely limited volumes produced.

Winemaking at Domaine Benoit Lalanne

Benoît Lalanne's winemaking is faithful to the spirit of the Montbenault terroir and to what he learned from Richard Leroy: absolute minimalism and a pure expression of rock and fruit. The grapes are harvested in whole clusters and pressed directly in a pneumatic press, followed by a light, natural overnight settling. Fermentation begins in tanks with native yeasts; once it is well underway, the wine is transferred to 228-liter Burgundian barrels for the rest of its aging. No sulfur is added at any stage of winemaking.

For Les Noëls de Montbenault, barrel aging, including one-third new barrels, lasts about 12 months. The wine is then racked for blending and aged together in stainless steel tanks for approximately six more months. For Les Quarts des Noëls, aging combines new and old barrels according to the vintage, producing a wine that is both concentrated and mineral. The wines are bottled without fining or filtration. Their legal classification is Vin de France: the winemaker chose the freedom of this designation to express his vision fully, without appellation constraints.

The cuvées of Domaine Benoit Lalanne

Les Noëls de Montbenault: The estate's flagship cuvée, made entirely from Chenin Blanc grown on plots of pale volcanic rhyolite in Les Noëls de Montbenault. Whole clusters free of botrytis are harvested by hand and pressed directly. The wine ferments and ages on its lees in Burgundian barrels for 12 months, then spends six months in stainless steel tanks, with no added sulfur. It has a brilliant, deep-gold color. The nose is expressive and complex, combining ripe white fruit, quince jelly, cereal notes from autolysis (warm bread, toasted sesame) and a slight noble reduction on opening. The palate is taut and powerful, driven by ripe acidity and pronounced mineral salinity, with a seemingly endless finish of noble pomelo and orange-peel bitterness. An exceptional wine for cellaring, true to the Montbenault terroir and directly inspired by Richard Leroy's touch.

Les Quarts des Noëls: A cuvée from two old-vine plots in Les Quarts des Noëls, planted in 1962 and 1964 on soils that are more clay-rich but also very rich in quartz. This sweet Chenin is made from partially botrytized clusters, fermented with native yeasts and aged for 12 months in Burgundian barrels, both new and old, with no added sulfur. It offers an aromatic range of incomparable distinction and complexity: quince chutney and fresh mirabelle plums, cereal notes from autolysis, warm bread, toasted sesame, chalky nuances and white pepper. The palate is deeply mineral, both lively and flavorful, with sweetness balanced by a noble thread of acidity and salinity. An exceptional sweet Chenin, produced in tiny quantities on one of the Loire's rarest volcanic terroirs.