Domaine Grosbois makes Chinon reds with dense planting, revived polyculture and concrete cellar work.
The producer
Domaine Grosbois works red Chinon in Cravant les Coteaux and Panzoult. Nicolas and Sylvain Grosbois have revived polyculture and use high planting density, native yeast fermentation, minimal sulfur and concrete cellar work. La Cuisine de Ma Mère is made for early drinking, while Gabare includes a vintage aged in concrete before bottling. The wines show red fruit, herbal and floral notes, with a fresh palate in La Cuisine de Ma Mère and a peppery finish in Gabare.
Known for
Concrete aged Chinon reds
Notable facts
The vines are planted at 5,800 vines per hectare.
The domaine revived polyculture farming.
Organic certification took place between 2009 and 2012.
Demeter biodynamic certification arrived in 2016.
The story
Farm Return In 1991
In 1991, Jacques and Jocelyne Grosbois took over a fortified farm built in the 15th century after the site had lain dormant for 25 years. The couple were arborists, and their return restored the vineyard and estate. Nicolas Grosbois later moved from international flying winemaking to the family domaine, making the transition in 2008. The old farm became the platform for the work now carried by Nicolas and Sylvain Grosbois, whose farming includes revived polyculture and high planting density.
From the atlas
Domaine Grosbois
A Chinon domaine where Nicolas and Sylvain Grosbois combine revived polyculture, dense planting and concrete cellar work.
At A Glance
Fact
Detail
Appellation
Chinon AOP
Region
Touraine, Loire Valley
Vineyard area
20 hectares
Communes
Cravant-les-Coteaux and Panzoult
Farming
Organic and biodynamic, with revived polyculture
Cellar signature
Concrete fermentation and ageing
Confirmed wines
La Cuisine de Ma Mère and Gabare
The Producer
The vines at Domaine Grosbois are planted at 5,800 vines per hectare, a density chosen to emphasize terroir expression. Nicolas and Sylvain Grosbois have also revived polyculture farming, returning to the mixed farming their parents and grandparents maintained.
The domaine moved through organic certification between 2009 and 2012, followed by Demeter biodynamic certification in 2016. In the cellar, fermentation uses native yeasts and sulfur remains minimal. Concrete is central to the winemaking, keeping oak influence out of the wines.
Place
Chinon AOP places the domaine within Touraine in the Loire Valley. The vineyards are divided between Cravant-les-Coteaux and Panzoult, giving the wines a shared appellation while leaving room for differences between cuvées.
Gabare is associated with millarges and Upper Turonian chalk. These site terms belong to the cuvée's terroir, while La Cuisine de Ma Mère is made for early drinking under the Chinon name.
Wines
Among the domaine's wines are La Cuisine de Ma Mère and Gabare, both red Chinon cuvées. La Cuisine de Ma Mère occupies the accessible end of the range and is designed for early drinking, with bright fruit and a savory edge instead of heavy extraction or oak influence.
Gabare shows a different cellar approach. The 2015 vintage was vinified in concrete, then aged in concrete for 24 months before bottling. The range therefore includes a young drinking cuvée alongside a wine given extended concrete ageing.
In The Glass
La Cuisine de Ma Mère 2024 shows intense cassis and raspberry on the nose, followed by a fresh, fruity and digestible palate. Gabare brings cranberry, sour cherry and red currant, with lemon thyme, peony and violets adding earthy and floral detail. Its palate is juicy and approachable, finishing with an invigorating peppery note.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose La Cuisine de Ma Mère. It is the cuvée made for early drinking, fermented with native yeasts and aged in concrete tanks. The wine keeps the emphasis on bright fruit and a savory edge, with little influence from oak or heavy extraction. Gabare comes later in the range because its concrete ageing gives the cellar work more time to shape the wine before bottling.
Final Word
Domaine Grosbois farms Chinon through dense planting, revived polyculture and organic and biodynamic methods. Its wines move from the early drinking La Cuisine de Ma Mère to Gabare, where concrete fermentation and ageing define the cellar approach.