Nicolas Joly - Clos de la Coulée de Serrant

The Coulee de Serrant is the name of a vineyard planted by Cistercian monks around the year 1130, and since then it has always remained a vineyard: almost 900 years of successive harvests and uninterrupted. The small and old monastery, which is part of the estate, was declared a National Historic Landmark. A few meters away from the monastery are the ruins of the castle of "La Roche aux-Moines", around which, in 1214, took place the famous battle in which Philip Augustus defeated John Lackland, son of John Lionheart. All around the castle there are still vestiges of ancient civilizations Celtic, Roman and Carolingian. The production is based on three different lines: the Coulee de Serrant (AOC Coulee de Serrant) on the steep hillside overlooking the Loire, a small vineyard is only 7 hectares which produce about 25,000 bottles per year; clos le Vieux (AOC Savennières), smallest, from which we produce 8 / 10,000 bottles; the Clos de la Bergerie (AOC La Roche aux Moines) capable of giving a production of 15,000 bottles. Some parcels of these vineyards are on slopes so steep that force farmers to work the land with the horse. Since 1962 the family Joly, owner of the estate, has decided to embrace the biodynamic viticulture, directing nearly 100% of production to the vine Chenin Blanc, from which comes the wonderful "Le Vieux Clos".