Domaine des Grouas

History of Domaine des Grouas

The story of Domaine des Grouas is above all one of a luminous 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 trained alongside the finest winemakers of the Loire. He began at 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 living things.

In July 2022, Lionel and Pauline took the leap and officially created Domaine des Grouas, taking over 14 hectares of vines already certified in organic farming since 2018. The estate 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 Anjou Noir and the more varied terroirs of Anjou Blanc. From the very first vintage (2022), the estate's cuvées sparked enthusiasm among enthusiasts, wine merchants and critics alike. The adventure has only just begun, yet it is already remarkable.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine des Grouas

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 work with a strictly parcel-by-parcel approach.

Anjou Noir and its schists: a large portion of the vineyard rests on the Precambrian schistose formations characteristic of Anjou Noir, with green and ochre schists, micaschists and metagraywackes — 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 finest wines of Anjou.

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

Le Clos du Giron: this full south-facing hillside borders an old Benedictine monastery and is distinguished by white clays and abundant white quartz, so characteristic that the site is locally nicknamed "Les Terres Blanches". This predominantly argillo-quartzite soil lends the Chenin exceptional breadth, richness and depth.

The pink sandstone terroirs: certain plots, such as the one that gives rise 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 with Cabernet Sauvignon, rest on green schists that promote even ripening and a singular glycerin-rich texture.

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

Winemaking at Domaine des Grouas

The winemaking philosophy of Domaine des Grouas rests on a simple yet demanding principle: trusting nature and intervening 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 skins of the grapes and in the air of the estate. 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-parcel 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 adding weight, develops progressive complexity and naturally stabilises the wine. Clos du Giron, the estate's flagship cuvée, is thus aged for 24 months in demi-muids, without fining or filtration. Sulphite levels are kept to a minimum: 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 clusters and pigeage, a rare approach for Cabernet Franc that produces, after a long vatting period of approximately four weeks, a surprising suppleness of texture and spiced freshness. The Graou cuvée, meanwhile, is vinified using carbonic maceration, an intra-skin fermentation method under CO2 saturation, unusual for Cabernet Sauvignon and which imparts a glycerin-rich texture and a fruity intensity rarely found in Anjou.

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

The Cuvées of Domaine des Grouas

Les Onglés

The Les Onglés cuvée is undoubtedly the one that immediately placed Domaine des Grouas on the map of the great wines of the Loire. Sourced from a 2.7-hectare plot planted on green and ochre schists, Precambrian micaschists and metagraywackes of the Les Onglés hillside, with a full south-facing exposure 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 a mixed ageing process: part 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 estate's prestige cuvée, Clos du Giron is born from a full south-facing hillside adjoining a Benedictine monastery, on a terroir of white clay 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, Clos du Giron is a great Chenin Blanc cuvée built for ageing.

Les Bergeons

Les Bergeons is a single-parcel Cabernet Franc cuvée from a pink sandstone terroir. Vinification with whole clusters, pigeage and a long vatting period of approximately four weeks is a rare approach for this grape variety in Anjou. It endows the wine with a textural suppleness and a tannic finesse that pleasingly contradict what one might expect from such a protocol.

Graou

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

Silène

The Silène cuvée is the estate's rosé, a delightful surprise within an already highly convincing range. Vinified to reveal the very best of a table rosé, Silène impresses with its vinous substance, its body and its depth, well beyond what one would typically expect from a rosé. Its colour is strikingly intense. On the palate, the texture is broad and flavoursome, with well-calibrated freshness and a pleasing aromatic persistence. At the table, it will pair beautifully with Mediterranean cuisine, composed salads or summer grilled dishes.

Narcos

The Narcos cuvée is the estate's single-parcel Pinot Noir red, sourced from a micro-plot of 25 ares planted on ferruginous schists and quartz. Benefiting from a longer ageing period than the estate'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, a beautiful acidity and an altogether light finish. 

Hollyhock

Hollyhock is the estate's entry-level Cabernet Franc cuvée — accessible, pleasurable and immediately seductive. Bursting with ripe red fruits — strawberry, raspberry and redcurrant — this supple and fleshy Cabernet Franc is vinified to be enjoyed young, with pleasure and without fuss. Light, easy-drinking and juicy, it makes an excellent introduction to the world of Domaine des Grouas, best served slightly chilled alongside charcuterie, roasted poultry or a simple cheese board.