Claire et Florent Béjon

History of Claire and Florent Béjon

The adventure of the Claire and Florent Béjon estate begins far from the beaten paths of family viticulture. Neither Claire nor Florent come from a line of winemakers. A lifelong wine enthusiast, Claire brings her sensitive and demanding perspective. Florent, for his part, spent more than twenty years traveling through the Loire to help the greatest estates bottle their cuvées without additives. This unique experience brought him into contact with iconic figures of natural wine, notably Mark Angeli, who transmitted to him the love of sustainable practices and absolute purity.

From 2010 onwards, the couple acquired their first parcels, little by little, with patience and determination. Settled in a troglodyte cellar carved into the tuffeau in Saint-Germain-sur-Vienne, they built their estate as an intimate sanctuary. Even today, they refuse any excessive expansion and work alone, without employees or seasonal workers. This humble and radical philosophy has given birth to wines that tell a true story: that of an encounter between two passionate individuals and a forgotten terroir.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Claire and Florent Béjon

The Claire and Florent Béjon estate extends on the left bank of the Vienne, between Candes-Saint-Martin and Seuilly, in the historic area of Chinon. The parcels, deliberately fragmented and small in size, reveal an incredible diversity of soils: flint clays on limestone bedrock (Picrochole parcel), deep and heavy clays (Les Bournais), yellow and white tuffeau mixed with aeolian sands (Pain Perdu) or ancient limestone hillsides.

The vines, aged on average 50 years and up to 80 years for some, are organically farmed (not certified) with an ultra-strict set of specifications: sulfur and copper in homeopathic doses, soils worked mechanically without herbicide, green manures and permanent plant covers. The work is entirely manual, from pruning to harvest. This respectful approach preserves the vitality of the soils and the unique personality of each parcel, giving the wines of the Claire and Florent Béjon estate incomparable minerality and freshness.

Vinifications of Claire and Florent Béjon

At Claire and Florent Béjon's estate, vinification is an attentive listening to the vintage and the grapes. Harvesting is manual, with rigorous sorting in the vineyard. The grapes arrive whole in the cellar, without destemming. Macerations are carried out through long and very gentle infusion (from 10 days to 3 months depending on the vintage), at low temperature, without any pumping over or punching down after the first day. Fermentations take place exclusively with indigenous yeasts, without chaptalization, without addition of nitrogen or sulfites.

Aging, lasting at least 12 months, takes place in a natural troglodyte cellar: stainless steel tanks, used 600-liter demi-muids, terracotta amphoras and jars. No new wood is used in order to preserve the purity of the fruit. Bottling is carried out without fining, without filtration and without added sulfites. Result: living, sincere wines that evolve magnificently in the bottle and faithfully reflect the Loire terroir.

Cuvées of Claire and Florent Béjon

Each cuvée from the Claire and Florent Béjon estate is a single-parcel expression or an ultra-precise blend, always classified as Vin de France.

Saint Germain: The estate's flagship red. Made from the oldest Cabernet Franc vines (60 to 80 years old), this cuvée offers rare depth and elegance. On the nose, notes of ripe blackcurrant, violet and graphite; on the palate, silky tannins, chalky freshness and infinite length. Perfect to accompany duck breast or red meat.

Picrochole: Iconic single-vineyard cuvée from a 1-hectare enclosed vineyard in Lerné on flint clays and limestone. More structured and intense, it develops aromas of wild raspberry, pepper and damp earth. The palate is fleshy, mineral, with a saline finish that calls for game or aged cheeses.

Pain Perdu: The most accessible and joyful red. Coming from the La Roche Bobreau parcel on tuffeau and aeolian sands, it seduces with its crisp freshness: burlat cherry, redcurrant and a minty touch. Light in alcohol, digestible and delicious, it is ideal as an aperitif or with light dishes.

Les Bournais: The most confidential cuvée. From an isolated parcel of deep clays outside the appellation area, this powerful Cabernet Franc reveals notes of blackberry, licorice and humus. Velvety texture, dense matter but without heaviness: an age-worthy wine that gains complexity year after year.

Les Gruches: The estate's only white wine, made from very old Chenin Blanc (up to 80 years old). Aromatic and taut, it exhales white flowers, candied lemon, acacia honey and a hint of linden. On the palate, chalky minerality, vibrant acidity and a saline finish of crystalline purity. Perfect with seafood, goat cheeses or as an aperitif.