Chenin
in all its shapes
Domaine des
petits quarts
IN A FEW WORDS
Our
History
Created in 1887, Domaine des Petits Quarts holds a special place in the Loire Valley wine landscape. Owned by the same family since its creation, this wine estate is the flagship of sweet and liqueur wines of the Layon Valley. Jean Pascal Godineau, the last owner (4th generation) has always believed in the Chenin grape variety to make sweet and liqueur wines. His 1996 vintage was elected “best sweet wine in the world. In fact, Jean Pascal Godineau collects gold medals in world wine competitions for nearly 20 years!
At the beginning of 2022, five friends and wine lovers have taken up the vineyard. And with Maxime Delhumeau, our new winemaker we want to give these 26Ha of Chenin all its expressions, from the “Crémant” to sweet and liqueur wines, through different dry Chenin vintages. And happily, medals are there!
![](https://www.domainedespetitsquarts.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Petits-Quarts-22841-scaled-scaled.jpg")
Our
Terroir
Domaine des Petits Quarts is located in the heart of the Anjou vineyard. The “Anjou noir” is a part of the terroirs which is located at the eastern end of the Armorican Massif. The oldest soils are essentially made of limestone, schist and granite.
And they are enhanced by a mild, oceanic climate specific to the Anjou area. These mild temperatures as well as rain and wind coming from the Atlantic Ocean are named a micro-climate, allowing our vines to grow in exceptional conditions. In addition to these very special conditions, our vines are located on 25% slopes, which offers strong exposures.
The Layon valley brings coolness and humidity. And combined with this particular climate, it allows us to work on the over-ripeness of our grapes. All these specific elements allow us to make wines with a typical and unique aromatic profile.
Our
grape variety
The “Chenin”, a descendant of Savagnin, is from Anjou! It is mentioned for the first time in documents bearing the seal of Charles the Bald in 845. It is today the main grape variety of the white wines of the Loire area. That is why we like to say that the Domaine des Petits Quarts works it in all its shapes from sparking wine to sweet and dry wines
With its large bunches and its small grapes, the “Chenin” keeps a high level of acidity when matured. You will find it in all its shapes: in dry or mild-dry white wine, sweet or sparkling. It adapts to climatic conditions and on the limestone, clay-limestone, granitic, schist soils of Anjou. A unique and exceptional combination of soils which constitutes for this grape variety and our vineyard a land of excellence.
Our
appellation
The “Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée - AOC –“ was created in the 1930 to fight against fraud and protect the reputation of French wines.
In 1948, few winemakers obtained the first “AOC” French wines, such as “Cassis”, “Châteauneuf du Pape” and “Monbazillac”. Today, there are more than 300 vineyard with the “AOC” label.
. AOC specifications are precise, personalized and adapted to each area.
The appellation defends the terroir, the know-how of the winegrowers and the typicity of the wine. It prevents new deceptions and frauds on French wines. It also allows consumers to give themselves points of reference. It has contributed to the prestige of French wines since its creation, and to their international influence.
At Domaine des Petits Quarts, all our wines are “AOC”. This appellation is important to our team. It is for us a guarantee of great quality and it allows us to make our wines shine on the whole French territory but also in the entire world.
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