Château du Nozay is a certified Biodynamic estate winery in Sainte Gemme en Sancerrois in the Sancerre AOC (north of Sancerre itself) in the Loire Valley. The castle dates from the 17th century. In the late 19th-century it was acquired by the de Benoist family. In 1961 the estate became eligible to produce wines under the Sancerre AOC when the boundaries were expanded to include the commune of Sainte Gemme en Sancerrois. In 1971 Baron Philippe de Benoist and his wife Marie-Hélène (whose older brother is Aubert de Villaine, co-manager of Domaine de la Romanée Conti) moved here (there was no running water, or electricity, no vineyard and no winery) and began planting Sauvignon Blanc. The first harvest was 1974. The estate is now run by Philippe and Marie-Hélène’s second son Cyril de Benoist. He gained work experience in Bouzeron at his uncle Aubert de Villaine’s family estate, and joined Château du Nozay in 1991.

Vineyards: 15 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc surrounding the château. Isolated.

Biodynamic certification: 2014 First vintage with full organic certification. | 2020 Certified Biodynamic by Demeter France.

White wines

Sancerre Blanc AOC, Domaine du Nozay: From ‘terres blanches’. 2014 Pneumatic press. Vat sample: classic, not too catty (Millésime Bio 2015).

Sancerre Blanc AOC, Château du Nozay: From the oldest vines. Hand picked. Sorting table. Pneumatic press. Fermented in a barrel-shaped stainless steel tank creating a natural vortex so that ferment lasts as long as possible. Wild ferment. | 2015 Very well done, not too catty (Millésime Bio 2017).

Contact

Château du Nozay

18240 Sainte-Gemme en Sancerrois

Tel+33 (0)2.48.79.30.23

Website: See here.