Domaine des Grouas

History of the domaine des Grouas

The history of the Domaine des Grouas is above all that of a brilliant career change. After a first career in consulting and digital, Lionel Hupolox decided to follow what had always been self-evident to him: making wine. Armed with a BTS in Viticulture & Oenology obtained in Marseille, he went to train with the finest winemakers of the Loire. He began at the domaine de Bellivière in Jasnières, then joined Terre de l'Élu and finally Emmanuel Ogereau in Anjou — three essential references in the Loire vineyard. These years of apprenticeship shaped his eye, sharpened his sensitivity to terroir, and forged a viticultural philosophy deeply rooted in respect for the living world.

In July 2022, Lionel and Pauline took the plunge and officially created the domaine des Grouas, taking over 14 hectares of vines already certified in organic farming since 2018. The domaine is located at 487 route des Grouas, in Martigné-Briand, a strategic location connecting the two great geological ensembles of Anjou: the black schist of the Anjou Noir and the more varied terroirs of the Anjou Blanc. From the very first vintage (2022), the domaine's cuvées generated enthusiasm among enthusiasts, wine merchants and critics alike. The adventure is only just beginning, but it is already remarkable.

Terroirs and Vines of the domaine des Grouas

The domaine des Grouas draws its richness from an exceptional geographical position, straddling two complementary geological worlds. The 14 hectares of vines, surrounded by 6 hectares dedicated to biodiversity (hedgerows, meadows, wetlands), benefit from a mosaic of terroirs of fascinating diversity, which Pauline and Lionel farm with a strictly plot-by-plot approach.

Anjou Noir and its schists: a large part of the vineyard rests on the Precambrian schistose formations characteristic of the Anjou Noir, with green and ochre schists, micaschists and metagreywackes — metamorphic rocks of great density. These poor, highly draining soils with strong thermal retention capacity impart to the wines a sharp minerality, an electrifying tension and an underlying energy that are the signature of the greatest wines of Anjou.

The terroir of Les Onglés: it is one of the rarest and most precious plots in the domaine. Nestled in the bend of a meander of the Layon, with full south-facing exposure, it counts only three winegrowers in the entire Anjou appellation: Constantin Vellis (Domaine Hélicon), Stéphane Bernaudeau, and Lionel of the domaine des Grouas, who farms 2.7 hectares of it. The soils there combine green and ochre schists, micaschists and Precambrian metagreywackes, producing some of the greatest white Chenin wines of the Loire.

Le Clos du Giron: this full south-facing hillside borders an ancient Benedictine monastery and is distinguished by white clays and numerous white quartz stones, so characteristic that the site is locally nicknamed "Les Terres Blanches." This clay-quartzite dominant soil gives the Chenin an amplitude, richness and depth out of the ordinary.

The pink sandstone terroirs: certain plots, such as the one that gives birth to the Les Bergeons cuvée, rest on pink sandstone, sedimentary rocks that bring finesse, freshness and elegance to the Cabernet Franc reds.

Green schists: other plots, planted notably in Cabernet Sauvignon, rest on green schists that promote consistent ripeness and a singular glycerin-like texture.

Biodynamics is the horizon toward which Pauline and Lionel are tending, a natural step in the pursuit of an even deeper respect for the living world and the terroir. Harvesting is carried out by hand, with rigorous selection of the grapes on the vine, to pick only what nature offers at its finest.

Winemaking at the domaine des Grouas

The winemaking philosophy of the domaine des Grouas rests on a simple and demanding principle: trust nature and intervene only when necessary. Every decision in the cellar is guided by the desire to preserve the purity of the fruit, the mineral signature of the terroir and the vitality of the wine.

Fermentations are conducted exclusively with indigenous yeasts, naturally present on the grape skins and in the air of the domaine. This spontaneous approach gives the wines an authentic aromatic complexity, impossible to reproduce with laboratory yeasts, and truly reflects the character of each plot and each vintage.

The single-plot white wines benefit from long ageing on fine lees, in demi-muids (600-litre barrels) or in tank, depending on the cuvée. This patient work enriches the texture without heaviness, develops progressive complexity and naturally stabilizes the wine. The Clos du Giron, the domaine's flagship cuvée, is thus aged for 24 months in demi-muids, without fining or filtration. Sulphiting is kept to a minimal level: less than 42 mg/L total SO2 for certain cuvées.

For the reds, Lionel demonstrates remarkable creativity. The Les Bergeons cuvée is vinified with whole-cluster fermentation and pigeage, a rare approach for Cabernet Franc that generates, after a long vatting of approximately four weeks, a surprising smoothness of texture and spiced freshness. The Graou cuvée, for its part, is vinified using carbonic maceration, a method of intra-pellicular fermentation under CO2 saturation, unusual for Cabernet Sauvignon and which imparts a glycerin-like texture and a fruity expressiveness rarely found in Anjou.

In all cases, the wines are neither fined nor filtered. Clarification occurs naturally through decantation, preserving the entirety of the aromas and living matter of the wine.

The cuvées of the domaine des Grouas

Les Onglés

The Les Onglés cuvée is undoubtedly the one that immediately placed the domaine des Grouas on the map of the great wines of the Loire. From a 2.7-hectare plot planted on the green and ochre schists, micaschists and Precambrian metagreywackes of the Les Onglés hillside, exposed full south in a meander of the Layon, it is crafted from 100% Chenin Blanc, the emblematic grape variety of Anjou. Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts is followed by mixed ageing: a portion of the wine is aged in demi-muids, the other in stainless steel tanks, on fine lees. The wine is neither fined nor filtered.

Le Clos du Giron

The domaine's prestige cuvée, the Clos du Giron is born from a full south-facing hillside adjoining a Benedictine monastery, on a terroir of white clays and white quartz, known locally as the "Terres Blanches". This terroir, radically different from the schists of Les Onglés, gives the Chenin a richer, broader and deeper expression. Vinified with indigenous yeasts, aged 24 months in demi-muids, without fining or filtration, the Clos du Giron is a great Chenin Blanc cuvée built for cellaring.

Les Bergeons

Les Bergeons is a single-plot Cabernet Franc cuvée from a pink sandstone terroir. The whole-cluster vinification, with pigeage and a long vatting of approximately four weeks, is a rare approach for this grape variety in Anjou. It imparts to the wine a smoothness of texture and a tannic finesse that pleasantly contradict what one might expect from such a protocol.

Graou

Le Graou is the most atypical and most joyful cuvée of the domaine. Pure Cabernet Sauvignon from green schists, it is vinified using the carbonic maceration method — intra-pellicular fermentation under CO2 saturation — an extremely rare technique for this grape variety. The result is a red wine of astonishing fruit generosity, far from the austere tannins sometimes associated with Cabernet Sauvignon.

Silène

The Silène cuvée is the domaine's rosé, a lovely surprise in an already very convincing range. Vinified to reveal the best of a table rosé, Silène strikes with its vinous substance, body and depth, well beyond what is usually expected of a rosé. Its color is of beautiful intensity. On the palate, the texture is broad and savory, with well-measured freshness and a pleasant aromatic persistence. At the table, it will happily accompany Mediterranean cuisine, composed salads or summer grilled dishes.

Narcos

The Narcos cuvée is the domaine's single-plot Pinot Noir red, sourced from a micro-plot of 25 ares planted on ferruginous schists and quartz. Benefiting from a longer ageing than the domaine's other reds, Narcos reveals all the delicacy that this Burgundian grape variety can express in Loire soils. The nose is refined, with red fruits (cherry, raspberry) and floral notes. The palate is elegant, with fine and silky tannins, lovely acidity and a light-footed finish. 

Hollyhock

Hollyhock is the domaine's entry-level Cabernet Franc cuvée — accessible, generous and immediately seductive. Featuring well-ripened red fruits — strawberry, raspberry, redcurrant — this supple and fleshy Cabernet Franc is vinified to be enjoyed young, with pleasure and without fuss. Light, easy-drinking and juicy, it constitutes an excellent gateway into the world of the domaine des Grouas, to be served slightly chilled with charcuterie, roasted poultry or a simple cheese board.