Loire domaine making schist rooted Muscadet and sur lie aged Chardonnay across named properties.
The producer
Les Frères Couillaud operates three main properties, Château de la Ragotière, Château de la Morinière and Domaine du Petit Château. Château de la Ragotière's schist and micaschist produce late maturing wines suited to keeping. Château de la Morinière's stony south and southeast facing slopes produce fine and aromatic wines. The range includes La Désirée Chardonnay, a fresh IGP Val de Loire white rounded by sur lie ageing, and Château de la Ragotière Vieilles Vignes, a Muscadet from older vines aged in underground tanks.
Known for
Muscadet and Chardonnay on lees
Notable facts
The Couillaud brothers bought Château de la Ragotière in 1979 and restored its winery and vineyards.
Collection Privée is a 2.5 hectare experimental vineyard devoted to unconventional grape varieties.
Château de la Ragotière Vieilles Vignes comes from vines between 40 and 60 years old.
La Désirée Chardonnay spends four months on its lees.
The story
The Morinière Purchase
In 1987, the Couillaud brothers expanded their vineyards with the purchase of the 30 hectare Château de la Morinière. Its stony slopes face south and southeast, producing fine and aromatic wines. Stony ground drains water quickly, reducing water retention around the roots. At Morinière, the wine consequence is fine and aromatic wine. The purchase added a property whose exposure, ground and wine style differ from the schist and micaschist of Château de la Ragotière. Château de la Morinière remains one of the three named properties.
From the atlas
Les Frères Couillaud
Loire domaine working across three properties, with schist rooted Muscadet and Chardonnay aged on fine lees.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Region
Loire
Main wines
Muscadet and Chardonnay
Featured bottle
Château de la Ragotière Vieilles Vignes
Defining practice
Extended ageing on fine lees
The Producer
Schist and micaschist sit beneath Château de la Ragotière, one of three main properties operated by Les Frères Couillaud. The domaine also includes Château de la Morinière and Domaine du Petit Château. Its range joins Muscadet from Ragotière with La Désirée Chardonnay, an IGP Val de Loire white.
The Couillaud brothers bought Château de la Ragotière in 1979 and undertook major restoration in both the winery and vineyards to rehabilitate the property. Extended lees ageing is a signature technique. Lees are fine yeast sediment, and prolonged contact can add texture and savoury depth to a white wine while retaining freshness.
Place
The vineyards lie approximately 50 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean in an oceanic climate. Mica schist drains water quickly through its laminated layers, reducing water retention around the roots. At Château de la Ragotière, schist and micaschist produce late maturing wines suited to keeping.
Château de la Morinière has stony slopes facing south and southeast, producing fine and aromatic wines. Domaine du Petit Château faces south and produces wines of great delicacy.
Story
In 2006, Amélie and Vincent joined Bernard, Michel and François in the estate's stewardship, bringing innovative projects with environmentally friendly alternatives to vine cultivation. The Couillaud brothers also devoted 2.5 hectares to Collection Privée, an experimental vineyard devoted to unconventional grape varieties.
Wines
La Désirée Chardonnay is an IGP Val de Loire white made from Chardonnay. Freshness leads the wine, with honeydew melon, pear, herbs and mineral notes. Four months of sur lie ageing rounds the palate, giving the wine a fuller texture without losing its fresh character.
Château de la Ragotière Vieilles Vignes is a 2024 Muscadet from vines between 40 and 60 years old. It is pale yellow and spends 10 months on fine lees in underground tanks. Vallet Château de la Ragotière is a 2017 Muscadet, while a 2020 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine extends the Ragotière range to a wine aged 44 months on fine lees.
Final Word
Les Frères Couillaud makes Muscadet from schist rooted vineyards and Chardonnay shaped by sur lie ageing. Château de la Ragotière brings late maturing wines suited to keeping, while La Désirée brings freshness with pear, honeydew melon, herbs and mineral notes.