Liv Vincendeau

Precision meets terroir

Liv Vincendeau is a perfectionist. In wellington boots she stands between her rows of vines, holding bottles up to the winter light to check the cloudiness of her maturing crémants. This obsession with detail is no accident: she studied chemistry in York and Strasbourg before falling in love with the world of wine. Her Bulles de Liv Gold unites this precision with the character of the Loire: herbs, seashells, white bread crust. La RVF awarded the 2021 vintage 91 points out of 100.

48 months of patience

The figures speak for themselves: while the law requires only nine months on the lees for Crémant de Loire, the Zeitlos Réserve rests for a full 48 months in the famous tuffeau cellars of Saumur. The result? A crémant of breathtaking complexity, which Terre des Vins honoured with its coveted Coup de Cœur. All the sparkling wines are based on Chenin Blanc from vines between ten and eighty years old. Spontaneous fermentation, no dosage, Demeter-certified since 2020: purist crémants without compromise.

The terroir of the steep slopes

The vineyards of Domaine Vincendeau lie on the Corniche Angevine, a protected escarpment above Rochefort-sur-Loire. The view sweeps across the Loire to the island of Béhuard. Underfoot: green and violet schist, spilite and phthanite of volcanic origin, shot through with quartz. These poor, stony soils limit yields to a maximum of 45 hectolitres per hectare, ideal for concentrated, mineral base wines. Much like Claude Riffault in neighbouring Sancerre, Liv puts authenticity before volume.

From chemist to vigneronne

"The viticulteur produces grapes. The vigneron has to turn them into wine, and that is a second craft," says Liv Vincendeau. She has mastered this second craft superbly. With only 16,000 bottles a year, the domaine is one of the Loire's small but exquisite addresses. She does most of the work herself: pruning, canopy work, harvest, vinification, sales. She is supported by a handful of loyal seasonal workers and her family. An artisan business in the best sense: authentic, personal, uncompromising.