Domaine de Pierre
Touraine, Loire Valley
Domiane de Pierre is a small estate in the heart of the Loire Valley run by 4th generation vigneron Lionel Gosseaume. That said, Lionel took an unusual path to winemaking. As a young man, he left the Loire to study agriculture and pursue a career. While he was away, his brother Thierry inherited his family’s domaine. When he came back home in the early 2000s, Lionel began looking for vineyards of his own. In 2007, he went to work for a next door neighbor at what would eventually become Domaine de Pierre. The neighbor’s name was Jean-Claude Maurice, and he tended the vines from 1960 to 2007, before handing over control to Lionel.
Gosseaume has doubled his modest holding since he began, from 8 to 15 HA under vine. His vines span 4 communes in Touraine: Choussy, Contres, Sassay and Oisly. The soils tend to be fairly consistent, with limestone giving way to deeper clay, sand and flint. While not certified organic, Gosseaume’s lineage and agriculture background make sustainability a top priority, and all of his fermentations are done with native yeasts. While we are very excited to start with his flagship wines, Lionel is also known for his work the Loire’s lesser known varietals, including Cot, Arbois and Meslier-Saint-Francois.
Wines
Touraine Sauvignon Blanc
Touraine, Loire Valley
Aged on the lees for four months, and fermented with indigenous yeast, this wine has a ton of character for such a great value, and boxes well above its weight class. Lionel also has 8 distinct plots of Sauvignon Blanc, and each is picked and fermented separately. A cold, slow fermentation preserves freshness and aromatic purity. The soils are mostly limestone and sand.
Domaine de Pierre Touraine Gamay Rouge
Touraine, Loire Valley
From vines dating back up to 65 years, this classic, carbonic Gamay is fresh and juicy. Grown mostly in sand, grass is grown between the rows to control vigor. Aggressive green harvesting and careful vineyard work ensure that only the very best bunches are fermented, which is especially important as the whole bunches are put in the tank.
People
Lionel Gosseaume
