Definition: Coulée de Serrant

La Coulée de Serrant, queen of Savennières, produces a unique dry white wine, created by Nicolas Joly, a leader in biodynamics: this producer is renowned for his wines made from the Chenin grape variety alone in a micro appellation.

Like Château-Grillet in the Rhône Valley, La Coulée de Serrant is an appellation in its own right, located in the heart of the Savennières appellation (Anjou – between Angers and Rochefort-sur-Loire), similar to a climat in Burgundy. Planted in the 12th century by the Cistercian monks of the Abbey of Saint-Nicolas d'Angers, this seven-hectare vineyard is ideally located overlooking the Loire, where the Serrant stream flows into the river. The vineyard plots, which benefit from the microclimate created by the proximity of the river and the stream, are exclusively planted with Chenin Blanc (or Pineau de la Loire), a grape variety prized for its beautiful acidity and aromatic power.

Nicolas Joly, a leading advocate of biodynamics since 1985, excludes all use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides to allow the remarkable terroir from which the wine originates to express itself fully. In the same spirit, the estate uses new wood sparingly (3%) so as not to distort the authentic taste of the wine. La Coulée de Serrant requires many years of cellaring before developing an extraordinary range of aromas, ranging from mineral to vegetal, with hints of honey and fruit (candied orange, quince, apricot, toasted almond). A unique, rare wine with exceptional ageing potential, which needs to be uncorked and decanted well before tasting.

Biodynamics in question

Biodynamics is a practice that takes into account the influence of planetary cycles on the cultivation of the soil and vines. This philosophy also advocates "integrated pest management", where all chemical treatments are prohibited. Only sulphur and Bordeaux mixture (a mixture of copper and lime) may be used, albeit very sparingly. The aim? To encourage the vines to develop their natural defences and to root as deeply as possible in the subsoil, rich in organic matter and minerals. In this way, wines produced using biodynamic methods fully express the qualities of their terroir. However, many estates are content to use integrated pest management alone, as biodynamics can sometimes be considered too extreme a practice.

Well-documented official website at: