A few kilometres west of Savennières, in La Possonnière, in the low-lying valleys of the Angevines, Eric and Alex Dubois took over the le Francaie estate from Loïc Mahé in 2017. Before that, Eric worked for 25 years at Clos Cristal, the famous vineyards of the Hospice of Saumur. The shale and silt soils of the estate in the Anjou forced Eric to "relearn everything", after having learned everything on limestone and sand for the past 20 years. Five different grape varieties grow on the 5.5 hectares of vines. Mainly Cabernet Franc and Chenin and a little Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay and Grolleau. Characteristic of the vineyards of Chateau le Franchaie are the hundreds of basalt stones that are scattered across the estate. Originating from the surrounding railways, these were placed here by the former owner to allow the heat of the day to work on the soil, also at night. This technique is particularly beneficial for Cabernet Franc and gives it a riper style. The grapes are picked by hand and the land is worked by Ramsès, Octave and Urga, the couple's three draft horses. Eric Dubois also works as naturally as possible in the cellar. The wines are vinified with indigenous yeasts. They are unfiltered and sulphur-free at bottling. The labels of the wines are Alex's paintings and emphasise the couple's relationship between art and wine.
