Clotilde et Rene-Noel Legrand

In the heart of the winemaking village of Varrains in the Loire Valley’s Saumurois, Domaine René-Noël Legrand is as picturesque an estate as they come. Surrounded by vineyards and fields of grain, their 18th century home is only upstaged by their 15th century cellars—carved into the limestone chalk known here as tuffeau. After nearly four decades running the domaine, eleventh generation vigneron René-Noël Legrand is now preparing to pass the baton to his daughter, Clothide, in 2013. Together, they farm 14 hectares of Cabernet Franc and one hectare of Chenin Blanc planted along gentle slopes and hillsides of Saumur, Dampierre, Chacé, Varrains and Champigny. Theirs is some of the best terroir of Saumur, rooted to the beneficial clay and limestone soils of the Cretaceous period formed nearly 90 million years ago.