Benoit Courault

A trained sommelier, Benoit Courault has always been immersed in the world of wine and quickly had the irrepressible desire to know more by seeking to understand what was hidden behind the bottles. He therefore decided to embark on a more comprehensive training by joining the Beaune wine high school. As part of his training, he thus completed numerous internships, mainly in Burgundy, in conventional fields. After his studies, his interest in biodynamic wines and natural wine led him to work alongside Eric Pfifferling of Domaine de l'Anglore. It is on the terroirs of Tavel that Benoît Courault will learn a lot on all fronts: in the vineyards and in the cellar. This experience will completely change his perception of wine and open the doors to another world; that of working with love on the living, the world of natural wine.
After three years spent in Tavel, Benoit decided to embark on his own adventure and bought a 6-hectare estate with his wife in Faye d'Anjou, in the Loire. From the start, he practiced biodynamics, with a lot of work around herbal teas, infusions, macerations, etc. He also launched numerous trials on green manure. The soil at Benoît is representative of this little corner of Anjou: the majority of its vines are rooted on schist soil.
Benoit Courault cultivates the classic Anjou grape varieties: Chenin, Grolleau Noir, Cabernet Franc and Pineau d'Aunis. Rather surprisingly, the vines are mostly trained in goblet form.
On the cellar side, the reds are put into vats in whole bunches then lightly crushed underfoot. The alcoholic fermentations then take place in old barrels. For the whites, the pressing is quite long, the juice is then put into barrels, sometimes in tuns. Benoît's wines have, year after year, acquired a solid reputation among natural wine lovers; Gilbourg, Guinechiens or Les Rouliers are now present on many beautiful starred restaurants.