Helicon

History of Domaine Helicon

Constantin Vellis was not born into a winemaking family. He first built a career in human resources consulting. A lifelong wine enthusiast, he eventually decided to change course and settled in Martigné-Briand, a well-known village in the Layon area. Before establishing his estate, he worked alongside neighboring winemakers, particularly Stéphane Bernaudeau. This respected local winemaker profoundly influenced his approach to growing grapes and making wine.

Domaine Helicon was established in 2018. Constantin Vellis made his first vintage in 2019 with the Frénésie cuvée, which immediately caught the attention of wine enthusiasts. The second vintage, in 2020, confirmed his talent. A second cuvée, the age-worthy Anicroche, then joined the range. Production is very limited, with just a few barrels in a beautiful vaulted cellar.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Helicon

Domaine Helicon’s vineyards lie in Anjou Noir, where schist gives Chenin wines distinctive energy and depth. The estate has two Chenin Blanc plots. La Guêpière, at approximately one hectare, produces the Frénésie cuvée. Les Onglés, at approximately 0.8 hectares, produces Anicroche. Les Onglés is one of Anjou’s great terroirs: a predominantly south-facing hillside in a bend of the Layon, with very schistous soil. Only three winemakers own vines there, including Constantin Vellis and Stéphane Bernaudeau.

The winemaker is attentive to environmental concerns and biodiversity. He follows the strict principles of organic farming, using no herbicides or synthetic pesticides. For him, living soils are essential to growing beautiful grapes. Each plot is therefore tended according to its own needs to preserve its character. All grapes are harvested by hand at optimal ripeness, ensuring healthy, richly flavored and balanced fruit.

Winemaking at Domaine Helicon

In the cellar, Constantin Vellis intervenes as little as possible to let the Chenin and schist speak for themselves. The musts are not settled and receive no enzymes. They ferment spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in used oak barrels and acacia barrels. Acacia preserves freshness and floral character, while oak adds structure. The wines then spend several months on their lees, gaining a generous texture and lightly oxidative hazelnut notes while retaining their precision.

The wines are bottled unfiltered, with only a small addition of sulfur at bottling. These are vibrant, minimally handled wines that benefit from aeration or decanting. All are released under the Vin de France designation, which gives the winemaker complete freedom of interpretation.

The Cuvées of Domaine Helicon

Frénésie, white Vin de France: Frénésie is the estate’s flagship cuvée. Made from 100% Chenin Blanc, it comes from the La Guêpière plot, on schist-rich soil. It ferments with indigenous yeasts in oak and acacia barrels, then ages for several months on its lees before being bottled unfiltered. Golden in color, it has aromas of preserved lemon, yellow fruit, ripe mirabelle plum and honey, with a toasted note from the lees. The palate is lively and taut, with ripe fruit, hints of hazelnut and flowers, and a distinctly mineral, saline finish. Enthusiasts sometimes compare it to the great white wines of the Jura. It opens up considerably with air and pairs beautifully with scallops, fish in sauce or chicken in cream sauce.

Anicroche, white Vin de France: Anicroche is Domaine Helicon’s cuvée for aging. It comes from the Les Onglés hillside, one of the Layon’s finest schist terroirs. It is made in tiny quantities, sometimes just two barrels in a vintage. Initially restrained, the nose gradually opens to apple, quince and yellow-fleshed fruit. The palate is dense and broad without heaviness, with remarkable length. It finishes with appealing bitter notes and a firm, taut character typical of great Chenins grown on schist. This wine calls for patience: give it a few years in the cellar, then decant it before serving with turbot, lobster or aged cheeses.