In 1996, Romain Guiberteau took over management of his family’s vineyards, ending a brief foray into the law profession. The following year, under the tutelage of Clos Rougeard’s Nady Foucault, Romain made 5,000 bottles of red wine, which he sold easily. This success convinced him to pursue a qualitative approach to winemaking, rooted in the traditions founded by his grandfather at the beginning of the 20th century.
The domaine is comprised of 14.5 hectares, 9.4 of which are planted to vines, and of those, seven are located in the great terroir of Brézé. In 1954, recognizing the excellent potential of this terroir, Romain’s father, Robert, purchased several hectares on the hill of Brézé—in particular, the Clos des Carmes, considered by legendary gourmet Curnonsky as one of the grands crus of the Loire Valley. A little more than half of the surface is planted to Chenin, with the remainder planted to Cabernet Franc. The vines vary between four and 80 years old, with a large proportion of old vines. In 2000, Romain converted the vineyards to organic management, and in 2003 he began the process toward the AB organic certification, which he obtained in 2007.
