Saumur and Saumur-Champigny from Domaine Filliatreau

Domaine Filliatreau Producer Profile

Quick Facts

Name of Estate	Domaine Filliatreau
Region	Loire
Country	France
Proprietor	The Filliatreau family
Size	50 hectares
Farming	Organic (Certified)
Soils	Clay and limestone
Grapes grown	Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc
Fun facts	Paul Filliatreau's stylistic shift to short macerations in the 1970's became so popular in Parisian bistros that it largely influenced how the Saumur region is perceived to this day.

Paul Filliatreau's stylistic shift to short macerations in the 1970's became so popular in Parisian bistros that it largely influenced how the Saumur region is perceived to this day.

Name of Estate	Domaine Filliatreau
Region	Loire
Country	France
Proprietor	The Filliatreau family
Size	50 hectares
Farming	Organic (Certified)
Soils	Clay and limestone
Grapes grown	Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc
Fun facts	Paul Filliatreau's stylistic shift to short macerations in the 1970's became so popular in Parisian bistros that it largely influenced how the Saumur region is perceived to this day.

Get to know
Domaine Filliatreau

producer profile 03.06.2019

Domaine Filliatreau Producer Profile

Domaine Filliatreau is a large <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> of about 50 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> located near the city of <glossary title="919">Saumur</glossary>. The <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> is known for its fruity, easy drinking style of <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary>; in fact it was founder Paul Filliatreau's stylistic shift to <glossary term="Stainless Steel" title="986">stainless steel</glossary> <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinifications</glossary> with short <glossary term="Maceration" title="610">macerations</glossary> in the 1970's that made the style popular and in demand in Parisian bistros.  The vast majority of the production consists of <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary> from the <glossary term="Saumur" title="919">Saumur</glossary> and <glossary term="Saumur-Champigny" title="920">Saumur-Champigny</glossary> <glossary term="Appellation" title="113">appellations</glossary>, along with a small amount of <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary> for white wine. Since the early 1990's a side project focusing on <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary> <glossary term="Viticulture" title="1103">viticulture</glossary> called Château Fouquet has been run in tandem with the historic Filliatreau vineyards. Today, the entirety of the Filliatreau <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary> is <glossary term="Organic Certification" title="260">certified</glossary> <glossary term="Organic" title="746">organic</glossary> and Château Fouquet is on the verge of being <glossary term="Organic Certification" title="260">certified</glossary> <glossary term="Biodynamic" title="160">biodyamic</glossary>.   Their most famous vineyard is called La Grande Vignolle; it rests atop a <glossary title="1053">tuffeau</glossary> stone outcrop that runs along the <glossary title="603">Loire river</glossary> for a number of kilometers. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the stone, a creamy colored <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary>, was quarried for building some of the great monuments and <glossary title="292">châteaux</glossary> of the <glossary title="602">Loire</glossary>. <glossary title="251">Cave</glossary> dwellings and a few formidable houses were actually carved into the cliffs. The "La Grande Vignolle" <glossary term="Wine Label" title="573">label</glossary> is a depiction of this site. The soil and <glossary title="991">subsoil</glossary> of the vineyard are highly <glossary title="222">calcareous</glossary>. This type of soil lends the <glossary title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary> grapes juicy flavors and good <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>. The vines are of considerable age and <glossary title="1129">yields</glossary> are kept low. The wine is <glossary title="1104">vinified</glossary> in <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary> and <glossary title="185">bottled</glossary> <glossary title="447">unfiltered</glossary>. It is rich in red fruit flavors, with a touch of tobacco and licorice in the finish and has excellent <glossary title="74">aging</glossary> potential. The other <glossary term="Cuvée" title="363">cuvées</glossary> available in America are a <glossary term="Saumur" title="919">Saumur Blanc</glossary> called "Lena", an entry level  <glossary term="Saumur" title="919">Saumur Rouge</glossary>, a "<glossary term="Old Vines" title="740">Vieilles Vignes</glossary>" <glossary term="Bottling" title="185">bottling</glossary> of <glossary term="Saumur-Champigny" title="920">Saumur-Champigny</glossary> and the "Château Fouquet" from the vines worked <glossary term="Biodynamic" title="160">biodynamically</glossary>. Ocasionally, a <glossary term="Pétillant Naturel" title="778">pétillant naturel</glossary> called "Filibulle" is produced and we try to bring in as much as we can.

interview 03.06.2019

An Interview with Fredrik Filliatreau from 2012

This interview with Frédrik Filliatreau took place in January, 2012 at the <glossary title="904">Salons des Vins de Loire</glossary>.  As of 2020, Fredrik is no longer working with his family. We have chosen to leave the interview up as it provides great insight on the <glossary term="Estate" title="427">estate</glossary>.  Tell us about Domaine Filliatreau.  I started up in 1990, and I am the fourth generation in my family to work here. We're pretty big compared to a lot of my friends in the area, but have divided things up over the years. Domaine Filliatreau covers all of our vines around the village of my grandparents; it's where our original <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary> is and where we make <glossary title="920">Saumur-Champigny</glossary>. Then you have the Grande Vignolle, a <glossary title="594">lieu-dit</glossary>, which is where we make those <glossary title="363">cuvées</glossary> and have our retail store. Finally, we have Château Fouquet, which has been completely <glossary title="746">organic</glossary> since 1998. Fouquet is 6,5 <glossary title="523">ha</glossary>, with an additional 4.5 <glossary title="523">ha</glossary> still in <glossary title="332">conversion</glossary>. When my father took over in 1967, a lot of things changed. Though my grandfather was a <glossary title="1089">vigneron</glossary>, he didn't necessarily do it by passion. He'd make some wine for his family and friends, whites and <glossary title="871">rosés</glossary>, then sell most of the grapes to the a couple of <glossary title="729">négociants</glossary>. There were no reds at the time; that was my father's doing. He's also behind us <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary> and selling independently, and was really one of the first guys to do it in the region. He was also one of the first people to work in this "modern fashion" of fruity, light and easier to drink reds. They were a hit in Paris, and things really took off from there.  Did he also change the cellar practices? My grandfather worked with <glossary title="325">concrete</glossary> <glossary title="1140">tanks</glossary> and <glossary title="142">barrels</glossary>. My father quickly realized that this affected the wine's freshness, so he integrated <glossary title="325">concrete</glossary> <glossary title="1140">tanks</glossary> that you could open from the top, giving him much more control. The inspiration to do this came from Charles Joguet in <glossary title="288">Chinon</glossary>.  Then in 1978 he met a guy who sold <glossary title="986">stainless steel </glossary><glossary term="Vat/Tank" title="1140">tanks</glossary>. When he realized it was the solution to his <glossary title="1018">temperature control</glossary> issues, he was sold. So yes, there has been a serious evolution in the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>. My father was always looking for the way to make a lighter, fruitier <glossary title="920">Saumur-Champigny</glossary>, but it was always with the utmost respect to the vines and the grapes. It might seem obvious now, but if you want your grapes to taste that fruity you have to respect them. The interesting thing is that there was almost a reverse evolution for us in the 1990's. We had some years that produced a very <glossary term="Concentration" title="324">concentrated</glossary> wine, and while it threw some people off at first, it became popular in its own right for being more powerful and <glossary title="990">structured</glossary>. And now we find ourselves producing both styles, which is fun for us! Is your dad retired? No. He's obviously less active then he was 20 years ago, but he still loves being in the vines; in fact he's been teaching my wife how to <glossary title="834">prune</glossary>! He's really a <glossary title="1089">vigneron</glossary>, and stuff like this (<glossary title="904">Salons des Vins de Loire</glossary>) is not really his thing.  An Château Fouquet is your project right?  It was something we did together. When my father purchased this great piece of land, I was still in school so I had no say in that decision. He is also the one who decided to replant certain parts that had been abandoned. Again, under the influence of Charles Joguet, we began replanting in <glossary title="941">selection massale </glossary>that actually came from Charles' Clos du Chene Vert vineyards.  It was my idea to <glossary title="332">convert</glossary> to <glossary title="746">organic</glossary> <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary>, and he was all for it! This made me really happy, because in 1998 it was still something new and exciting that not many people were doing. It was a situation where in many cases, the new generation wanted to work <glossary title="746">organically</glossary>, but their parents refused to change. It was fabulous having his support. Why not convert the entire estate then? I really hate to say it, but it's strictly economical. It's a reality we have to accept. To this day Filliatreau has a huge reputation in French restaurants, and we knew that if we <glossary term="Conversion" title="332">converted</glossary> everything to <glossary title="746">organic</glossary>, it would make the wine about 25% more expensive, which would confuse and frustrate the customer. It's not fun to talk about the profitability of your wine, but upping our prices by this much was impossible. Château Fouquet was new, and let us start from the ground up.  And now we work exactly the same way in our <glossary term="Old Vines" title="740">old vines</glossary> in <glossary title="920">Saumur-Champigny</glossary>. We care about the vines and good work. Part of our <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> is in  <glossary title="608">lutte raisonée</glossary>, the other is <glossary title="746">organic</glossary>. It's the way it is.  You recently bought a horse to work the soil, Can you tell us about that? I bought the horse last year. It's yet another evolution! It's a dream I've had for a very long time, and I'm ecstatic at learning how to work the soil with a horse. It's great doing it with my father too, because it brings him back to his youth; he never did it much himself, but remembers it being a common thing. We were talking about it one day, and he told me he'd love to have a horse for the vines. So without telling him, my wife and I found Scarlette. At first he was shocked we'd actually done it! But once he met her and saw what she's capable of, he fell in love! He's been obsessively sourcing plows from all his friends and we now have a huge collection of them that are completely useless! For now we're only working 1,5 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of Château Fouquet with Scarlette. The idea is to eventually do all of it: we'd have to pass to two or three horses and hire a new employee, but it's totally doable. I'm very excited about it!  What do you like to drink? I like everything that's different from <glossary title="920">Saumur-Champigny</glossary>! I really love <glossary title="922">Savagnin</glossary> and <glossary title="822">Poulsard</glossary> from the <glossary title="560">Jura</glossary>. The wines are so different yet so <glossary title="1026">terroir</glossary>! I recently loved some <glossary title="1157">Chianti Classicos</glossary>. I don't know, as long as they bring me pleasure!

producer visit 24.07.2019

This visit to Domaine Filliatreau took place in February, 2014

This visit to Domaine Filliatreau took place in February, 2014. Words by Jules Dressner, photos by Krystof Zizka and Tom Loup. After eating lunch in <glossary title="919">Saumur</glossary>, Fredrik Filliatreau met us up for coffee before setting out to his vines. Before seeing any of his own land, he asked me (and consequently, the six other cars following us) to pull over to the side of the road.  "From here, I can give everyone a general overview of the area."  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//5d/6f/5d6faa21cf8fde20799f8ca760e77ae3.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//2d/e1/2de1f1282e233ffa16f224a6e2cbec1a.jpg" /> <glossary title="920">Saumur-Champigny</glossary> is located between the <glossary title="603">Loire</glossary> and <glossary title="926">Saône</glossary> rivers, and was declared an <glossary title="108">AOC</glossary> in 1957. It consists of 1600 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of <glossary title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary> spread over nine villages. 100 independent growers make wine from their own land, and 40% of the <glossary title="108">AOC's</glossary> vines are run and produced by huge <glossary title="252">cave cooperatives</glossary>. With 45 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> to their name, Domaine Filliatreau's is one of the biggest independent producers in the area. The Filliatreau family has been based in the village of <glossary title="265">Chaintres</glossary> for many generations. Fredrik's grandfather was the first to focus entirely on <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary>, and before that their main crops were asparagus and cereals. He was also one of the first four independent <glossary title="1089">vignerons</glossary> in the area. His father Paul started in 1967 with a very small production, but through many decades of successes and ambitious expansion, the estate now exists as 45<glossary title="523">ha</glossary> of land spread over 37 <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary>.  The first site Fredrik showed were <glossary term="Young Vines" title="1130">young vines</glossary> from the <glossary title="594">lieu-dit</glossary> La Croix. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//e8/e7/e8e73cc8b2d8e85dd71a4de7c1ee177b.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//c9/24/c924347c723592ff5fc49a31fa706810.jpg" /> As you can see from the photo above, it's been a rainy winter in the <glossary title="602">Loire</glossary>.  We then walked by a <glossary title="305">clos</glossary> whose name I didn't catch.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//d4/d0/d4d0612ebf7ef3fa2d3200ab082cacfb.jpg" /> Fredrik had forgotten the key to this site so we couldn't go in. He shares this surface with a handful of other growers.  Just a short walk further, we entered one of Fredrik's favorite <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary>, Clos Candi. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//11/69/1169912b9f9e0239f6e629b441ffbfae.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//72/94/729428415b5cf4eff89f6fb7d307198b.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//6b/81/6b81273c8487b989321aa4edf8939285.jpg" /> This 1.2 <glossary title="523">hectare</glossary> <glossary title="305">clos</glossary>' vines are 75 years old and some of the oldest at the estate. The soils consist of <glossary title="301">clay</glossary> and <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary> with <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary> <glossary title="991">subsoils</glossary>.  Fredrik explains how this is technically a "<glossary title="672">monopole</glossary>" of a <glossary title="1026">terroir</glossary>, but since growers and consumers don't take things like that too seriously in the <glossary title="602">Loire</glossary>, it makes it hard to justify bottling such a small amount of wine as its own <glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary>. This did however happen once, and ended up as a <glossary term="Cuvée Buster" title="1410">Cuvée Buster</glossary>. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//df/e1/dfe1e54c76208b659ad23694bce77906.jpg" /> Before getting back into our cars to go taste in the <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, Fredrik wanted to show us a project very dear to his heart.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//33/5f/335f0254b3a57c2de49b9c7880dc84ff.jpg" /> Six years ago, <glossary title="920">Saumur-Champigny</glossary> became the first <glossary title="1103">viticultural</glossary> region in France to invest collectively as an <glossary title="108">AOC</glossary> to transform into a <glossary title="1162">bio-diversity</glossary> zone. <glossary title="1162">Bio-diversity</glossary> has been discussed numerous times on this website, but the gist of it is a) to not use <glossary title="526">herbicides</glossary> and b) to plant anything OTHER than vines. By taking these two steps, the growers of <glossary title="920">Saumur-Champigny</glossary> are permitting a more balanced <glossary term="Ecosystem" title="414">ecosystem</glossary> to form itself around its vineyards, thus attracting other types of life (plants, animals and bugs) that will help nature defend itself with minimal to no <glossary title="279">chemical</glossary> aid. 30 km of hedges have been planted alongside many rows of vineyards. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//01/f2/01f2a537da69f03545d48636d5a730c0.jpg" /> These have brought insect populations that haven't been present in many generations. Furthermore, <glossary title="526">herbicides</glossary> have been abolished completely in order to permit not only grass, but all of the flowers and plants that grow along with it to invigorate the vineyards' soil and <glossary term="Microbiological" title="1210">microbiological</glossary> life.  "It's impossible to force everyone to work <glossary title="746">organically</glossary>, but with this agreement we've found a way to reduce <glossary title="279">chemical</glossary> use as a whole. I consider this a very important accomplishment." From the rain soaked vines, we drove over to the Filliatreau's <glossary title="1104">vinification</glossary> <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, built by Paul in 1978.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//36/bd/36bdbfed61d8c0910abc84df21ccf70e.jpg" /> Originally, the entire production was made in <glossary title="325">concrete</glossary> tanks. The resulting wines were very <glossary title="1010">tannic</glossary>, and often tricky to <glossary title="1104">vinify</glossary> due to lack of proper <glossary title="1018">temperature control</glossary>. In 1978, Paul discovered <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary> and had a revelation: not only could this <glossary title="1160">vessel</glossary> be <glossary title="1018">temperature controlled</glossary>, but it could also permit him to make a lighter, fruitier wine in the style he'd always wanted to make. Filliatreau was the first to produce this style of <glossary title="920">Saumur-Champigny</glossary>, which he jokingly labeled "Champigny Nouveau", a term which has since been banned.  Paris went apeshit for the "Fillatreau style", and as a result more and more producers started <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary> similar wines to supply the ever-increasing demand of Parisian bistros and <glossary term="Bar à Vins" title="136">bar à vins</glossary>. Unfortunately, as with most trends, big <glossary title="729">négoces</glossary> and <glossary title="252">caves coopératives</glossary> also started emulating and mass producing this style, eventually pushing things too far (à la <glossary title="152">Beaujolais Nouveau</glossary>) and ruining the reputation of the light gulpers Paul had pioneered in the late 70's.  Through thick and thin, Fredrik has continued to make this <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary> style, which remain in high demand due to his knack for quality. Every year, a 50 to 60 person <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> team that works over the course of two weeks. "You never really need to rush." 80% of the <glossary title="427">estate</glossary> is <glossary title="520">hand-harvested</glossary>. For the other 20% (<glossary term="-Select term-" title="">young vines</glossary>), Fredrik had this to say:  "If you make the decision to <glossary title="611">machine harvest</glossary> part or all of your crop, It's very important to have your OWN harvesting machine, because it gives you control. Most people who <glossary title="611">machine harvest</glossary> hire guys who are trying to get the job done as soon as possible, and don't care about timing or multiple passes."  <glossary title="1140">Tanks</glossary> <glossary title="610">macerate</glossary> one to five weeks depending on the wine. The 2013 "Domaine" had 10 days <glossary title="610">maceration</glossary>. In the tasting room, we got to try a bottle of 2013 <glossary term="Saumur" title="919">Saumur</glossary> <glossary title="871">Rosé</glossary>. "Every year, a local bar holds a competition for the best <glossary title="871">rosé</glossary>. 3rd place gets an entire Serrano Ham, 2nd place gets 10kg of extremely rare and seasonal mushrooms, and first place gets:" <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//c0/e5/c0e5f905eb28a3d45bb3a43e28277629.jpg" /> That's right, folks. First place for best <glossary title="871">rosé</glossary> get you a weird boob statue. Fredrik in no way tried to explain how this made any sense (probably because it doesn't), and since we all know that a whole Serrano ham is way better than a weird boob statue:  "The secret is learning how to make the 3rd best <glossary title="871">rosé</glossary>!"  Fredrik then <glossary title="393">disgorged</glossary> some 2013 "Fillibule". <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//6b/c8/6bc890da1179a1bdb0e680b17a556495.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//8a/2b/8a2bdb9c949bbb4f66ccabb3c4cdd7cf.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//97/cf/97cfac481d5a09871e025f554bc675bb.jpg" /> The wine is much darker in color this year, and slightly sweeter. Grapes for this <glossary term="Pétillant Naturel" title="778">pétillant naturel</glossary> are sourced from the same <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> as the <glossary title="871">rosé</glossary>, and it was delicious.  From the <glossary term="Vinification" title="1104">vinification</glossary> <glossary term="Cellar" title="254">cellar</glossary> we went to the Filliatreau's underground <glossary title="1053">tuffeau</glossary> <glossary title="254">cellar</glossary>, which was built in the early 18th century.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//fe/5d/fe5dc0ddbacdb2b14a147315846399ed.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//77/06/7706e63701cb68bce6b610235f09bee5.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//d1/23/d123615d32ad3875bd7b5c6ee3876f90.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//54/ba/54bafa858de2aa8327e6ed30bbfe035b.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//91/aa/91aa155e1f23b95870f59deb39c53285.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//ef/e2/efe2f008aaf214ca9272ce3643f16909.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//24/b3/24b3e11c90802c0fb11b41fbc4c594e7.jpg" /> As you may have noticed, all the <glossary title="142">barrel</glossary> <glossary title="74">aged</glossary> stuff is down here. A lot of old, moldy bottles also <glossary title="74">age</glossary> down there, and we got to try a bunch of them.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//43/e8/43e8b7a111f697402763a724f3598ea2.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//05/78/0578fe92735413593612d2f6f0186024.jpg" /> 2003 "Château Fouquet" was very fresh and balanced. A 1995 "<glossary term="Old Vines" title="740">Vieilles Vignes</glossary>" had beautiful cherry fruit. I wanted <glossary title="740">V.V</glossary> 1986 to be the best since it was my birth year, but Fredrik disagreed. "It wasn't the best <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary>. Still pretty good though!"  Thanks a lot Fredrik! The 1985 <glossary title="740">V.V</glossary>, on the other hand, was banging.  We then got to take a mini break back at the hotel before joining Fredrik for dinner at La Grande Vignolle, the <glossary title="594">lieu-dit</glossary> that produces the <glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary> of the same name. This is what it looks like from a bird's eye view:  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//f6/93/f693c0b04a76b358146d780181802432.jpg" /> Yes, that's a vine maze. If you look towards, the top of the photo above, the beautiful monuments are built purely out of <glossary title="1053">tuffeau</glossary> <glossary title="596">limestone</glossary>.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//d2/db/d2db503e0b973f395d22184fc9ed60c9.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//69/28/69288410dd70e757dd60cb7471338a4d.jpg" /> Outside, we spotted a super creepy and mysterious mannequin man. <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//6a/2f/6a2f2c0664dd77b4c2f37bb646e69c75.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//62/b4/62b4ea40dbcd10db508aeb30a6225c29.jpg" /> <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//bc/e1/bce142e3c865cdaa3441874da21f410a.jpg" /> Fredrik told us he has always been there, and any soul foolish enough to get too close has inevitably been hexed with a curse of getting drunk way too fast at public functions and making a total fool of themselves. Dinner was excellent.  <img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Jul_24//55/dc/55dccead2d9907d98606d8dbf787db4d.jpg" />

harvest report 04.01.2023

2023 Harvest Report from Geoffrey Prioreau

We began our 2023 <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary> on September 25th and wrapped up on October 7th. June and July were overcast and August was very hot, which certainly had an impact on the vines' cycle. We had a team of 32 pickers and ideal weather throughout the <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary>. For the first year ever, we picked some of the <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernets</glossary> before the <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenins</glossary>, as some were taking longer than usual to reach full <glossary term="Maturation" title="639">maturation</glossary>. 2023 will be a year with lower <glossary term="alcoholic potential" title="1381">alcoholic potential</glossary> than 2022, with nice <glossary term="Acidity" title="71">acidity</glossary> and balance. We also <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvested</glossary> more than 2022, which is always a good feeling! <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//997/ca/80/ca80e9752edfc3d71ba79d3604098b54.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//997/91/8a/918a8b4603264cd9c6eac60a0f73cdee.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//997/4c/42/4c429217c6b4081097afd5c8f1c66a07.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//997/7f/cd/7fcd1d41474506c9419166bc431abddf.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//997/12/ba/12ba179f544f040d4590fb4184bb29df.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//997/1e/8c/1e8ca805c968dc4431036266e425a6cc.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//997/5b/4d/5b4d1b7195074f93e3c2164a661723fe.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//997/61/50/61505f532fc12470ccee09b3a34a0a41.jpg" /><img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//997/69/cc/69cc406643eeefc5f359a41a725798e4.jpg" />

harvest report 26.12.2022

2022 Harvest Report from Geoffrey Prioreau

harvest report 07.12.2021

2021 Harvest Report from Domaine Filliatreau

harvest report 05.01.2020

2020 Harvest Report from Paul Filliatreau

November 6th, 2020: Here are my impressions of the 2020 <glossary term="Harvest" title="521">harvest</glossary>, my 53rd. A rainy winter, a dry and sunny spring and a nice summer without any heatwaves led to the most precocious harvest in over 50 years. The <glossary term="Chenin Blanc" title="281">Chenin Blanc</glossary> and <glossary term="Cabernet Franc" title="216">Cabernet Franc</glossary> grapes were in excellent sanitary condition, with nices <glossary term="Maturation" title="639">maturities</glossary>, good <glossary term="alcoholic potential" title="1381">potentials</glossary> and nice <glossary term="Acidity" title="71">acidity</glossary>: it will be a very balanced <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>. At the time of this writing, most of the <glossary term="Alcoholic Fermentation" title="87">alcoholic fermentations</glossary> are finished and we’ve <glossary term="Racking/Soutirage" title="843">racked</glossary> over 50% of the juices that have finished their <glossary term="Malolactic Fermentation" title="622">malo</glossary>. Both <glossary term="Saumur" title="919">Saumur</glossary> and <glossary term="Saumur-Champigny" title="920">Saumur-Champigny</glossary> wines are looking very promising. The other big news is that after three years of <glossary term="Conversion" title="332">conversion</glossary>, the 2020 <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary> of Domaine Filliatreau will be <glossary term="Organic Certification" title="260">certified organic</glossary> by <glossary term="Ecocert" title="413">Ecocert</glossary>. We will begin a <glossary term="Biodynamic" title="160">biodynamic</glossary> <glossary term="Conversion" title="332">conversion</glossary> next, a choice we launched in October by applying <glossary term="Silica" title="955">silica</glossary> treatments and adding “<glossary term="Maria Thun" title="631">Maria Thun</glossary>” cow horns to the soils. Our goal is to be <glossary term="Organic Certification" title="260">certified</glossary> by <glossary term="Demeter" title="385">Demeter</glossary> in the 2022 <glossary term="Vintage" title="1109">vintage</glossary>.  <img src="https://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article//851/62/7a/627a666ed3ee16fd42584fa36fc8bcd2.jpg" />

producer profile 03.06.2019

Domaine Filliatreau Producer Profile

interview 03.06.2019

An Interview with Fredrik Filliatreau from 2012

producer visit 24.07.2019

This visit to Domaine Filliatreau took place in February, 2014

harvest report 04.01.2023

2023 Harvest Report from Geoffrey Prioreau

harvest report 26.12.2022

2022 Harvest Report from Geoffrey Prioreau

harvest report 07.12.2021

2021 Harvest Report from Domaine Filliatreau

harvest report 05.01.2020

2020 Harvest Report from Paul Filliatreau

Domaine Filliatreau’s wines

Domaine Filliatreau

Saumur Blanc "Lena Filliatreau"

Domaine Filliatreau

Château Fouquet Saumur Blanc

Domaine Filliatreau

VDF Pétillant Rosé "Fillibulle"

Domaine Filliatreau

Saumur-Champigny

Domaine Filliatreau

Château Fouquet Saumur Rouge

Domaine Filliatreau

Saumur-Champigny "La Grande Vignolle"

Domaine Filliatreau

Saumur-Champigny "Vieilles Vignes"