Richard LEROY

The wines of Richard Leroy, in the superb Layon region(Loire Valley), offer the best of their terroir, expressing themselves with class, minerality, salinity and uprightness.

Who is Richard Leroy?

After studying economics, Richard Leroy moved to Germany. His wife Sophie ran a shop there selling French products, including a few bottles of wine. The future winemaker to help keep the small business running. Everything was going smoothly. Except that Richard was wondering what the next step in this adventure should be. He could see himself heading to Paris to explore the wine tasting clubs. In 1980, he settled there and tasted fine wines—foreign wines as well as more modest local crus—with equal curiosity. That’s how wine tasting became his passion. He met all sorts of people, including prominent winemaking families, most of them from Burgundy. These encounters sparked a burning desire within him: to set out in search of a Winery run. It wasn’t easy—the prices were prohibitive. Until one day, with the help of a few winemakers, he began searching in the Côteaux du Layon. Richard Leroy set out to gather information to find the best terroirs in the area.

Why the Loire Valley for Richard Leroy?

Against all expectations, Richard Leroy chose plots located in Rablay-sur-Layon. Just under 3 hectares spread across two plots. The “Noëls de Montbenault” plot, situated at the top of the hillside overlooking the Layon River, covers 2 hectares. The soil is shallow and rich in rhyolite volcanic rock. It faces due south and is exposed to the wind, which has the great advantage of keeping the grapes dry throughout the year and thus preventing disease.

Clos des Rouliers' totals just 0.7 ares and lies at the foot of the slope. The soil type is much the same, but there's less wind. Richard Leroy feels that these terroirs have nothing to envy the great local appellations. He knows it! He can make great natural wines here!

What is Richard Leroy's approach to winemaking and cultivation?

From the very beginning, chemicals were banned, the vineyards were plowed, and the manual labor required of thewinemaker immense. Richard Leroy intended to produce sweet wines but soon found himself facing a dilemma regarding sulfur. Wines with residual sugar are nearly impossible to produce without added sulfites. So he experimented with dry Chenin in his garage—which he had converted into a cellar—and that’s when it clicked! He selected the best grapes from his vineyards, and year after year, his wines have been well-received. In 2008, Richard Leroy decided to reclassify his wines as “Vins de France,” voluntarily stepping outside the appellation, tired of the endless battles over approvals and administrative authorizations. Three years later, somewhat against his will, the winemaker the star of a (great) comic book by Etienne Davodeau , *Les Ignorants*. It was a huge success. He received calls at home from all over the world from people wanting to buy his natural wines and congratulate him. It was an episode that was a bit overwhelming for him, but it allowed thousands of people to discover his work, his philosophy, and his personality. Whenever we manage to get our hands on a few bottles of Richard Leroy’s Chenin, be sure to discover these wonderful wines! Your taste buds will thank you… for life.