Pascaline says: “Réne & Agnès have been involved since the very beginning of my journey, some 17 years ago now. I have to say I’ve always liked Réne’s personality – he can be cynical, a bit of a grump, and will give you a hard time but keep you happily grounded; the perfect person to take away an ego. He is humbly devoid of one himself despite the phenomenal wines he’s producing.
I truly believe that Chenin Blanc is the greatest white grape in the world. Réne & Agnès helped with the revival of dry Chenin, especially in Anjou. They’ve demonstrated that Chenin grown on schist can produce truly world class wines. Les Bonnes Blanches is a historic plot, previously famous for sweet wines, and Domaine Mosse’s dry example is always truly a delight to taste. I am a firm believer that this is one of the great whites of France. With the next generation, I believe that Domaine Mosse will step up to the next level, as the farming is getting even better and the wines are becoming more precise. I’m going to be there in the first week of December, and cannot wait to see them all.”
Former wine bar owners in the Loire Valley, Réne & Agnès Mosse were inspired by local winemakers to study and set about to produce their own wines. They bought what was to become Domaine Mosse in 1999, with their 13 hectares mostly planted to Chenin Blanc. The estate has been farmed biodynamically since 2001. Les Bonnes Blanches is a famed vineyard, with Mosse lucky to have 2 hectares of vines. Its name literally translates as ‘the good whites’ but is a reference to the soil type in the vineyard being clay with small, rounded whiteish stones on an outcrop of schist. It spends around 1 year in large fûts (French oak barrels), after a slow natural fermentation. Having previously been rejected from appellation status, Réne & Agnès now simply label the wine as ‘Vin de France’ as it has gathered such a love and following that they don’t feel the need to comply with the authority’s requirements. It has all the hallmarks of great Chenin: balanced fruit, floral, spice and earthy complexity, detailed layers, refreshing acidity. A true classic and exemplary of the quality of Domaine Mosse.