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Domaine les Trois Toits

The Domaine des Trois Toits was built on the old foundation of an ancient abbey established there in the 17th century. The cave is built entirely of stone and its roof is marked by three peaks – thus its name: “Trois Toits” or three roofs.

After 16 years of partnership with Hubert Rousseau, RWM’s relationship with the Domaine des Trois Toits, long recognized through- out the Vertou region for its uncompromising attention to detail and quiet excellence, has entered a new chapter. Now enjoying a well-earned retirement after 25 years at the helm of the estate, Hubert has passed the baton to Vincent Barbier and Cécile Perraud, who purchased the domaine in 2019. Hubert provided us for years with classic, mineral-driven Muscadet that we embraced with enthusiasm, but Vincent and Cécile are poised to strive even higher in their work: the domaine is now in organic conversion; harvests are manual rather than mechanical; and wines ferment with indigenous yeasts.

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The three parcels at the domaine (Clos de la Nicolière, Clos de la Louée, and Clos du Bézier), have always produced evocative wines that clearly express their Gneiss and Orthogneiss soils, and with improved viticultural practices and cellar techniques we are sure that Domaine des Trois Toits will produce some of the most compelling wines in the Pays Nantais.

Farming

In organic conversion

Treatments

Copper-sulfate only

Ploughing

Annual ploughing to maintain vineyard health

Soils

Schist (Gneiss and Orthogneiss)

Vines

Trained in Guyot and planted at 5,000 vines/ha, vines are 20-50 years old

Yields

Controlled through pruning, debudding, and green harvesting

Harvest

Manual, usually early September

Sourcing

Entirely estate fruit

Fermentation

Wines ferment with indigenous yeasts in subterranean stainless-steel tanks

Extraction

Wines see occasional bâtonnage during élevage

Chaptalization

Chaptalization when necessary

Pressing

Pneumatic pressing

Malolactic Fermentation

Blocked by wines’ naturally high acidities

Élevage

Wines are raised for 6-9 months in subterranean concrete vats

lees

Wines remain on their fine lees until assemblage prior to bottling

Fining and Filtration

Wines are unfined and filtered with diatomaceous earth

sulfur

Applied after alcoholic fermentation, with c. 40 mg/l total sulfur

Farming

In organic conversion

Treatments

Copper-sulfate only

Ploughing

Annual ploughing to maintain vineyard health

Soils

Schist (Gneiss and Orthogneiss)

Vines

Trained in Guyot and planted at 5,000 vines/ha, vines are 20-50 years old

Yields

Controlled through pruning, debudding, and green
harvesting

Harvest

Manual, usually early September

Sourcing

Entirely estate fruit

Fermentation

Wines ferment with indigenous yeasts in subterranean stainless-steel tanks

Extraction

Wines see occasional bâtonnage during élevage

Chaptalization

Chaptalization when necessary

Pressing

Pneumatic pressing

Malolactic Fermentation

Blocked by wines’ naturally high acidities

Élevage

Wines are raised for 6-9 months in subterranean concrete vats

Lees

Wines remain on their fine lees until assemblage prior to bottling

Fining & Filtration

Wines are unfined and filtered with diatomaceous earth

Sulfur

Applied after alcoholic fermentation, with c. 40 mg/l total sulfur

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