It gathers the climat, the Loire river, the grape varieties, the soils and the human factor.
THE CLIMATE
The vines truly benefit of the temperate maritime climate which is characteristic of Anjou, with a humid and soft weather during a great part of the year, and a short period of drought in July.
THE LOIRE RIVER
The proximity of the Loire river ensures a thermic regulation of hillsides soils located on the left bank. The Loire river is mainly responsible of the usual precocity of the grapes that can be noticed year after year.
THE GRAPE VARIETIES
Since the end of 2020, only 3 grape varieties are planted on our 19 hectares:
- Cabernet Franc (10 ha)
- Chenin (8 ha)
- Chardonnay (1 ha)
Among all the vines planted, the oldest are 50 years old and the youngest are 1.
THE SOILS
The vineyards of Vignoble Musset-Roullier wine estate expand on a fault of Armorican Massif which gave birth to an important variety of soils composed of:
- schist soils (blue, green, or wine color)
- limestone soils (blue color, also called « pierres à chaux » in French)
- shelly sand soils (composed of aggregated sea sediments, sand, gravel, and shells)
THE HUMAN FACTOR
The human factor must be considered as a decisive component of the terroir. It aims to implement everything that can be done in order to enhance the meeting between the soil and the vine. For that, must be done a serious study explaining the life cycle of the soils (water flow and retention, precocity, warming, etc.) in order to determine the best cultivation options.
For example, Musset-Roullier’s team works on providing to each plot:
- harmony between the soil, the grape variety, and the rootstock
- a good preparation of the ground before any planting (ditch, drainage)
- an appropriate maintenance of the soils (grass, spacing, composting)
- the best use to consider for the grapes (in terms of kind of wine produced)
