Deboutbertin

Stéphanie and Vincent of Deboutbertin moved from Paris to Faye-d’Anjou in the Loire in 2012, interning with Olivier Cousin, Jean-Francois Chené, and Mark Angéli before starting with a plot of Pineau d’Aunis and a rented cellar space. Stéphanie credits Cyril le Moing as well for teaching them a great deal about winemaking.

Determined to work their land as holistically as possible, they added Anatole 🐴 to their team the following year, who is now 15 years old and a big help in the vines.

After the first year, the two decided that they would divide their work in the vines, each taking on their own plots and making their own decisions, allowing for greater creative freedom.

“I like the wine that tells a story and has its own expression.” Steph told us. She prefers to work as naturally as possible, training the vines on gobelet and using zero SO2. She explained once at La Dive, she tasted two nearly identical wines side by side, one with sulfites and one without. In that moment, tasting the free expression of the grapes, she knew she knew exactly how she wanted to work her vines.

After asking about the characteristic reduction in Pacotille, their Chenin Blanc produced on old vines, Steph laughed and said everyone wants to know. She believes it has to do with pressing manually and not using a pump in the cellar.

Deboutbertin produces around 5-8,000 bottles each year on 3 hectares. They have 4 parcels on schist, clay, rhyolite, and quartz. Their vines are up to 70 years old, which is what helps create the incredible concentration in their wines.