Henry Marionnet

The Marionnet family has owned the land at Domaine de la Charmoise in Soings-en-Sologne since 1850, with the family viticulture continuing across generations. The winery was formally established under the Marionnet name in 1921 by Kléber Marionnet, marking the transition from mixed agricultural use to dedicated viticulture. The modern estate is the work of Henry Marionnet, who took over from his father and undertook a sustained replanting and expansion campaign between 1967 and 1978 that brought the vineyards to nearly sixty hectares planted predominantly to Gamay and Sauvignon Blanc. Henry's son Jean-Sébastien Marionnet now runs the estate, with Henry remaining involved in vineyard and cellar work. The estate's location in Soings-en-Sologne places it in the southwestern Sologne, within the broader Touraine appellation and not far from the Cher river.

• Marionnet family has owned the land at Domaine de la Charmoise since 1850
• Formally established as a winery in 1921 by Kléber Marionnet
• Henry Marionnet replanted and expanded the vineyards to nearly sixty hectares between 1967 and 1978
• Now run by Jean-Sébastien Marionnet, son of Henry; Henry remains involved in vineyard and cellar work

The estate covers nearly sixty hectares of vineyards in Soings-en-Sologne, planted predominantly to Gamay (approximately two-thirds of the vineyard area) and Sauvignon Blanc (approximately one-third). Soils across the holdings are flinty clay with sand and gravel terraces, giving the wines a distinctive mineral and aromatic profile. The Sologne is the wooded plateau region south of the Loire that gives its name to the Touraine sub-region around Cheverny, and Soings-en-Sologne sits at the western edge of this zone. The vineyard work has emphasized massal selection from the older plantings, with the goal of preserving distinctive vine material that has been on the property for multiple generations. The roughly six hectares of ungrafted (franc de pied) vines include pre-phylloxera Romorantin plantings thought to date to the 1850s, which is potentially the oldest continuously productive vine material in France.

• Approximately sixty hectares in Soings-en-Sologne; Gamay (two-thirds) and Sauvignon Blanc (one-third) dominate plantings
• Soils: flinty clay with sand and gravel terraces; mineral and aromatic profile
• Sologne wooded plateau region south of the Loire; Soings-en-Sologne at the western edge
• Approximately six hectares of ungrafted (franc de pied) vines including pre-phylloxera Romorantin from the 1850s

Henry Marionnet has been a pioneer of sulfur-free winemaking in the Loire Valley for decades, with the estate avoiding the addition of sulfur dioxide across the range. Vineyard work uses no chemical treatments, and the cellar work avoids oak entirely (stainless steel and concrete only), reflecting Henry's conviction that pure expression of the Sauvignon Blanc and Gamay character is best preserved without either chemical intervention or oak influence. The estate has produced sulfur-free cuvées for decades and the broader range increasingly minimizes sulfur additions. The combination of low-yield viticulture (kept well below the appellation maxima), no chemicals in the vineyard, and no oak in the cellar gives the Marionnet wines a distinctive aromatic clarity and a recognizable house style that has been a reference point for natural-leaning Loire winemaking for the past three decades.

• Pioneer of sulfur-free winemaking in the Loire Valley for decades; estate avoids the addition of sulfur dioxide across the range
• No chemical treatments in the vineyard; no oak in the cellar (stainless steel and concrete only)
• Henry's conviction: pure expression of Sauvignon Blanc and Gamay character is best preserved without chemical or oak influence
• Reference point for natural-leaning Loire winemaking for the past three decades

The estate's range covers Touraine Sauvignon Blanc and Touraine Gamay as the volume cuvées, with a series of named bottlings showcasing the older-vine and ungrafted parcels. Cuvée M de Marionnet (a Sauvignon Blanc) was elected Best Sauvignon in the World at the Olympiades du Vin by Gault and Millau in 1990, an early international recognition that helped establish the estate's reputation. Cuvée Première Vendange is a Gamay vinified by carbonic maceration from the youngest pickings. Provignage is a Cour-Cheverny Romorantin from the estate's pre-phylloxera ungrafted vines thought to date to the 1850s, marketed as potentially the oldest continuously productive vine material in France. The Vinifera collection consists of small-volume cuvées from rare or ungrafted varieties planted by Henry. Other estate cuvées include Renaissance Gamay and the Sauvignon Blanc Vendanges Manuelles.

• Cuvée M de Marionnet: Sauvignon Blanc elected Best Sauvignon in the World at the Olympiades du Vin by Gault and Millau in 1990
• Cuvée Première Vendange: Gamay vinified by carbonic maceration from the youngest pickings
• Provignage: Cour-Cheverny Romorantin from pre-phylloxera ungrafted vines thought to date to the 1850s
• Vinifera collection: small-volume cuvées from rare or ungrafted varieties planted by Henry

Henry Marionnet is one of the Loire Valley's most storied family estates, with the combination of multi-generational continuity since 1850, the modern expansion under Henry from 1967-1978, the international recognition for Sauvignon Blanc, and the rare ungrafted vine material giving the estate a distinctive identity within Touraine. The sulfur-free winemaking pioneer status places the estate at the origin of the broader natural-leaning Loire movement that has flourished in the 2000s and 2010s. The Provignage Romorantin from the 1850s pre-phylloxera vines is particularly notable as a vinous artifact, often cited as one of France's most historically significant white wines. The continuity from Henry to Jean-Sébastien is now well underway, and the estate remains widely distributed across international markets as a benchmark accessible-price Touraine reference.

• One of the Loire Valley's most storied family estates; multi-generational continuity since 1850
• International recognition: Cuvée M de Marionnet elected Best Sauvignon in the World in 1990
• Pioneer status in sulfur-free winemaking places the estate at the origin of the broader natural-leaning Loire movement
• Provignage Romorantin from 1850s pre-phylloxera vines often cited as one of France's most historically significant white wines