Why it matters
The producer
Famille Joly works Chenin Blanc across a small family range. Nicolas Joly's children participate in the estate, while the grapes are harvested by hand.
Fermentation relies on yeasts naturally present on the grapes and in the cellar air, without a cultured inoculation. The wines are bottled without fining or filtration. Fining removes suspended material and filtration clarifies wine, so both cellar steps are omitted here.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Coulée de Serrant sits within the Savennières context and has its own controlled appellation. An appellation is a defined wine designation, so the vineyard name functions as the appellation on the bottle.
The steep slopes overlook the Loire. Their incline calls for work partly by hand and partly by horse.
Wines to know
The range in view
Famille Joly produces Coulée de Serrant, Clos de la Bergerie and Les Vieux Clos, all made from Chenin Blanc. Coulée de Serrant appears as a 2022 and 2023 white wine, while Clos de la Bergerie and Les Vieux Clos are represented by 2022 bottles.
The range also includes Coulée de Serrant Moelleux 2022, a sweet style within the Chenin Blanc lineup. The wines receive six to eight months of oak barrel ageing.