Domaine Richou

The Richou family has worked vines around Mozé-sur-Louet for multiple generations, and the estate has been bottling its own wines since the mid-20th century. Damien and Didier Richou, the current generation, took over progressively from their father and have led the modernization of the estate through the 2000s and 2010s. The conversion to organic farming earned Ecocert certification in the 2010s, joining the broader Anjou shift toward sustainable viticulture. The estate has remained a family-scale operation, with the brothers sharing the responsibilities of viticulture, vinification, and commercial functions.

• Richou family has worked vines around Mozé-sur-Louet for multiple generations
• Estate has been bottling its own wines since the mid-20th century
• Damien and Didier Richou took over progressively from their father in the 2000s and 2010s
• Ecocert organic certified in the 2010s as part of the broader Anjou sustainability shift

The estate sits on the banks of the Aubance river, a tributary of the Loire that runs through the heart of the Anjou-Saumur sub-region. The Coteaux de l'Aubance AOC, named for the river, is a small sweet wine appellation distinct from but adjacent to the larger Coteaux du Layon further south. Like the Layon, the Aubance valley creates morning mist conditions in autumn that support Botrytis cinerea development on Chenin Blanc, though the typical style of Coteaux de l'Aubance is somewhat lighter and more aperitif-leaning than Layon. The estate's parcels span both the schist slopes above the Aubance and the broader Anjou Noir terrain stretching toward the Brissac zone.

• Estate sits on the banks of the Aubance river, a tributary of the Loire
• Coteaux de l'Aubance AOC is a small sweet wine appellation distinct from Coteaux du Layon
• Aubance valley morning mists support Botrytis cinerea development on Chenin Blanc
• Aubance style typically lighter and more aperitif-leaning than Layon

The estate's Coteaux de l'Aubance bottlings are the historical sweet wine flagship. The wines are made from selected botrytized fruit through multiple tries successives during the harvest, with residual sugar typically lower than comparable Layon bottlings (in the 60 to 120 grams per liter range rather than the 100 to 200 of Layon). The lighter style suits the aperitif and dessert market where Layon and Bonnezeaux can sometimes feel too rich. The estate also produces a small Sélection de Grains Nobles cuvée in great vintages from the most botrytized fruit, pushing concentration further. Anjou Coteaux de la Loire, a separate AOC for semi-sweet Chenin Blanc, is produced when conditions favor lighter botrytis development.

• Coteaux de l'Aubance bottlings made from selected botrytized fruit through multiple tries successives
• Residual sugar typically 60 to 120 g/L, lighter than Layon's 100 to 200 g/L
• Lighter style suits aperitif and dessert market where Layon and Bonnezeaux can feel too rich
• Small Sélection de Grains Nobles cuvée in great vintages; Anjou Coteaux de la Loire in lighter botrytis years

Alongside the sweet white range, the estate produces a substantial line of red, rosé, and sparkling wines. Cabernet Franc is the principal red grape, with bottlings under Anjou Rouge and the more demanding Anjou-Villages Brissac for the top reds. Grolleau, the historic Anjou rosé grape, provides the base for the estate's rosé d'Anjou and Cabernet d'Anjou bottlings. A small méthode traditionnelle Crémant de Loire range uses Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay base wines. The breadth of the range across dry, sweet, red, rosé, and sparkling categories makes Richou one of the more comprehensive expressions of the Anjou tradition.

• Cabernet Franc as principal red grape; bottlings under Anjou Rouge and Anjou-Villages Brissac
• Grolleau provides the base for rosé d'Anjou and Cabernet d'Anjou bottlings
• Small méthode traditionnelle Crémant de Loire range from Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay
• Breadth across dry, sweet, red, rosé, and sparkling makes Richou one of the more comprehensive Anjou estates

Domaine Richou is the most prominent estate of the Coteaux de l'Aubance, a small AOC that has been somewhat overshadowed by the larger Coteaux du Layon to the south. The Richou brothers' commitment to the Aubance has helped maintain the AOC's identity and given the international wine community a stable reference point for the appellation. The estate's broader range (red, rosé, dry white, sweet white, sparkling) also makes Richou a useful single-estate study of the full Anjou tradition, particularly for educational programs covering the breadth of Anjou-Saumur production. The modern conversion to organic farming has positioned the estate well within the broader Anjou sustainability shift that has accelerated since the 2010s.

• Most prominent estate of the Coteaux de l'Aubance, a small AOC overshadowed by Layon
• Richou brothers' commitment has maintained the Aubance AOC's identity
• Breadth across red, rosé, dry white, sweet white, and sparkling makes the estate a useful study of full Anjou tradition
• Modern organic conversion positions the estate within the broader Anjou sustainability shift