Cyril Le Moing
Martigné-Briand, Loire

In the late 90s Cyril Le Moing left his job in Paris, following an urge to move to the countryside and reconnect with nature. Already having something of a passion for wine, he contacted winemakers in his home region of Loire for work as an apprentice, landing a job working for Mark Angeli of Ferme de la Sansonniere. Then in 2003, after a few years experience under his belt, he set up his own domaine in Anjou, purchasing just under a hectare of vines. Now he has pieced together 3.5ha of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grolleau Gris and Chenin Blanc, including some vines dating back to the turn of the 20th century. All spread across some of the most interesting terroirs the region has to offer. 

Work in the vineyard is considered and precise — careful pruning ensures yields are kept very low with all work done by hand. Similarly in the cellar, methods are somewhat spartan — macerations are encouraged by a gentle manual piegage and all elevage is in old barrels. Only the very best grapes make it into the cellar and beyond there are no additions. Generally speaking the different parcels are vinified individually to show the typicity each has in a certain year, often resulting in just a single barrel of each. 

Although quite classic in stature, the wines possess an individualism that feels hard to compare to any of Cyril’s nearby peers. Both reds and whites are multi-layered, structured and incredibly vibrant, and would certainly reward those patient enough to cellar them for a few years.