The Terres d'Imaginaire adventure begins in April 2022 on 2.7 ha of Chenin in Anjou noir in Rochefort-sur-Loire. At the origin of the project, Mathilde, an agricultural engineer and oenologist, has been working in the wine world for 10 years (Lilian Ladouys, Château Figeac, Stefano Amerighi in Tuscany). After her studies, she worked for 3 years with the now legendary Sylvain Pataille. The 'Master of Marsannay' teaches her the necessary do's and don'ts in passing , you can't have a better start to your career. In 2022, it is time for her own project, which she partly manages together with her husband. Nicolas is a mathematics/computer science engineer who helps Mathilde in addition to his own job. They are bright minds and busy bees!
9 months later, in January 2023, the couple is seduced by a beautiful piece of land. They are expanded with 6 ha of extra vines, still in Rochefort, now with a beautiful diversity of rocky nature (slate and/or sandstone in different colours), and soil texture (sandy silt, clayey sand, clay). Many different grape varieties (Chenin, Pineau d'Aunis, Sauvignon, Grolleau Gris, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc) are also planted. A place with potential, and in one fell swoop a much larger wine company.
Mathilde goes for terroir. That is not only the land and the soil, but also to a large extent the human being. The name 'Terres d'Imaginaire' touches on that terroir aspect. In her own words: "The wines that inspire us come from the encounter between a place and a winemaker. This is what we want to emphasize with the name of the domain “Terres d'Imaginaire”. On the one hand, the earth, our base from which our raw material is produced. On the other hand, the imagination to leave room for creativity, freedom and the desire to experiment."
The way of working in the vineyard receives specific attention. Sustainable, coherent and environmentally friendly viticulture takes place. It is about synergy between the vine and its environment. Microbiological soil life is stimulated, planting is done by means of selection mass. The organic quality mark has been applied for right from the start in 2022. That will take some time, but the practical handling is already there. The work in the vineyard has the function of making wine where you can taste the location. The soil and the location are allowed to express themselves. This is created by minimal intervention in the cellar. The fermentations are carried out with indigenous yeasts and the wines only get sulphites when necessary.
All in all, Mathilde makes elegant, subtle but clearly speaking wines. She manages to let the origin come through clearly and refined in her wines. From vintage 2023 (already) in the Netherlands, and rightly so!