At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Appellation
- Chinon AOC
- Village
- Cravant-les-Côteaux
- Main grapes
- Cabernet Franc and Chenin
- Signature wine
- Cuvée des Templiers
- Defining feature
- Demeter certified biodynamic farming
The Producer
EARL Demois is the estate name attached to Vignoble Fabien Demois, located in Cravant-les-Côteaux at the heart of the Chinon AOC. The red wines centre on Cabernet Franc, while Les Grands Bournais is made from Chenin. The estate's work follows autonomy, respect for natural cycles and circular ecology.
Fabien Demois took over the family estate after growing up among the vineyards of Cravant. The wines are direct in their grape expression, with named Cabernet Franc cuvées alongside a white Chenin bottling.
Place
Between the Vienne and Loire, the property sits on an alluvial plain in Cravant-les-Côteaux. An alluvial plain is river deposited ground, giving the estate a broad river landscape rather than a named hillside parcel.
Chinon AOC provides the regulated wine place, while the range separates by grape. Cabernet Franc appears in the red wines, and Chenin appears in Les Grands Bournais. The village and appellation place both colours within the same Loire setting while keeping their grape roles clear on the bottle.
Story
Fabien Demois was raised among the vineyards of Cravant before taking over the family estate. The succession placed a named grower from the village at the head of the property, which is known as EARL Demois and is certified for biodynamic production.
The estate's present range carries that family continuity through Cabernet Franc reds and a Chenin white. Farming changed under Fabien's direction, but the property remained attached to its home village and family name.
Vineyards And Cellar
The estate covers approximately 30 hectares in the Chinon appellation. The vines were converted to organic agriculture upon Fabien Demois's arrival, followed by biodynamic certification. Animals and biodiversity are also part of the farm's work.
Cuvée des Templiers comes from clay silica terroir and old vine parcels approximately 60 years old. The grapes undergo complete destemming and a four week maceration before 12 months of ageing in new barrels. Only the best barrels enter the final cuvée. Complete destemming removes stems, while maceration extracts colour and tannin from the grape skins. New barrels add oak aroma and soften texture through oxygen exchange.
Wines
The range divides by colour, grape and bottle position. The red wines include Vieilles Vignes and Les Deux Rives, both made from Cabernet Franc. Les Grands Bournais is the white Chenin cuvée.
Cuvée des Templiers occupies a separate place in the range because it is made only in exceptional vintages. It is a Cabernet Franc bottling from old vine parcels, with the final wine narrowed to the strongest barrels from the élevage.
In The Glass
Vieilles Vignes shows a deep purple hue, red fruit aromas and subtle spicy notes. Its palate is complex, with a discreet touch of oak.
Les Deux Rives has a deep garnet colour with ruby and purple hues. The nose brings red fruit and marked Burlat cherry, followed by sappy, vegetal, licorice, violet, blueberry and blackcurrant notes. The palate is balanced and deep, supple and round, with soft, ripe, crunchy blackberry tannins and a licorice finish.
Les Grands Bournais is white with golden reflections. White flowers and white fruits carry spicy notes, followed by a harmonious palate with rich texture and a long finish.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Cuvée des Templiers. It is the estate's Cabernet Franc from clay silica terroir, with a deep purple robe, delicate black fruit, spice, a long palate, fine grained tannins and integrated oak. The bottle places one grape and one named terroir beside the broader Vieilles Vignes and Les Deux Rives range.
Anecdote
In 2015, Fabien Demois chose biodynamics for the family estate. He had grown up among the vineyards of Cravant, and the vines had already been converted to organic agriculture upon his arrival. Biodynamic certification followed in 2015. The farming values attached to the work were autonomy, respect for natural cycles and circular ecology, alongside attention to animals and biodiversity. EARL Demois became a certified biodynamic producer under Demeter France.
Final Word
EARL Demois is a Cravant-les-Côteaux estate built around Cabernet Franc, a Chenin white and biodynamic farming. Cuvée des Templiers adds a clay silica Cabernet Franc made only in exceptional vintages.