GILLES TAMAGNAN
Location and History
The Loire Valley, listed as UNESCO World heritage site, is home to majestic chateaux and fruit filled vineyards. In this region where nature and sculpt culture the landscape, our vineyard is a crate to some of the most expressive grape varietals on 60 acres. Le Domaine des Pierrettes was created in the 1950’s on the left bank of the Loire River between Chaumont and Amboise, both offering a royal chateau built during the Renaissance.
Gilles Tamagnan acquired the vineyard in 2018, after a successful academic (PhD. In Chemistry, teaching at Yale) and business career, convincing his wife Nathalie that, indeed, dreams can come true.
Gilles has always been fascinated by the wine making process and had a clear vision of the experience he wished to offer to visitors and customers alike.
Biodiversity and Philosophy
Very conscious of our extreme luck to own this remarkable piece of land, it was our priority to open the vineyard not only to wine lovers but to hikers, bike riders, nature and history geeks…and to answer all and every question about our philosophy, our wines, and the rich past of the area.
Le Domaine des Pierrettes, home to many bugs (including over 50 beehives) and birds, was converted into an organic vineyard in 2020. A mix of different flowers has been seeded, edges will be replanted, and bird houses installed…
This global approach will ensure the growth of stronger vines while respecting the land and the memory of all the people who worked it before us.
Terroir and Wines
The name says it all: “Domaine des Pierrettes”, little stones -in French-. Most of them are flint stones associated with clay. They promote steady ripening and help accelerate the maturity of the grapes. The silex gives an incomparable mineral expression and righteousness to the wines as well as spicy hints for more mature vintages. The clay helps the wines to a softer and silkier texture.
Conditions are ideal for the growth of the yellow straw Sauvignon Blanc, King of the Valley! It is wonderfully expressive and balanced, displaying its citrus flavors with a hint of acidity as well as smoky flint aromas. Meanwhile, the elegant Chenin Blanc offers its floral notes in our fine sparkling wine.
Our red varietals, picked by hand, exhibit rich, ripe fruit aromas. The seductive Côt (Malbec) offers notes of black fruit distinct tannins and a full and generous palate while the spicy cabernet and fruity gamay will charm our wine enthusiasts!
Our vineyard is part of the Touraine and Touraine Amboise appellations. Gilles chooses to present only single varietal wines to try and rediscover the full identity of our local grapes.
It is with great pride that the whole team works combining both traditional and modern approaches to enhance your tasting experience