Philippe Tessier

Philippe Tessier has built the estate across decades of careful vineyard expansion in the Sologne wooded plateau region south of the Loire, within the Cheverny appellation. The decision to convert the holdings to certified biodynamic farming followed a long preceding organic discipline and reflected a broader interest in working with the appellation's varied soil types at a deeper level than the conventional approach that prevailed in Cheverny through the 1990s and early 2000s. Tessier's work has been one of the central drivers of critical attention on serious quality Cheverny since the 1993 AOC promotion from VDQS, and the estate sits in the broader Loire biodynamic conversation alongside the established biodynamic estates of Vouvray and Anjou-Saumur.

• Cheverny estate built by Philippe Tessier across decades of vineyard expansion in the Sologne
• Conversion to certified biodynamic farming followed long preceding organic discipline
• Reflects broader interest in working with appellation's varied soil types beyond conventional approach prevalent through 1990s and early 2000s
• One of the central drivers of critical attention on serious quality Cheverny since the 1993 AOC promotion from VDQS

The estate covers approximately twenty-five hectares of vineyards across both Cheverny AOC and Cour-Cheverny AOC parcels in the Sologne. Plantings include Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay for the Cheverny whites (with Sauvignon as the majority partner per AOC rules), Gamay and Pinot Noir for the Cheverny reds (with Gamay as the majority partner per AOC rules), and Romorantin for the Cour-Cheverny sub-appellation bottlings. Soils across the holdings include the appellation's classic clay-limestone, flinty clay (silex), and sandy-gravelly terraces, with each soil type favored for different varieties: the silex parcels lean to Sauvignon Blanc, the clay-limestone to Romorantin, and the sandier zones to Gamay. The biodynamic vineyard work uses preparations applied on a calendar tied to the lunar cycle, with cover crops between the rows and minimal soil disturbance.

• Approximately twenty-five hectares across Cheverny AOC and Cour-Cheverny AOC parcels in the Sologne
• Plantings: Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay (Cheverny white), Gamay and Pinot Noir (Cheverny red), Romorantin (Cour-Cheverny)
• Soils include clay-limestone, flinty clay (silex), and sandy-gravelly terraces favored for different varieties
• Biodynamic preparations on a calendar tied to the lunar cycle; cover crops and minimal soil disturbance

The estate is Demeter biodynamic certified since the late 2000s, after a long preceding organic discipline. Vineyard work uses biodynamic preparations, cover crops, manual canopy management, and minimal soil disturbance across the working year. Manual harvest is standard across the named cuvées. In the cellar, the approach is natural-leaning: fermentations are conducted with indigenous yeasts in concrete vats for the reds and a mix of stainless steel and used Burgundy barrels for the whites depending on the cuvée. Sulfur additions are minimized across the range, with some cuvées released with very low or no added sulfur. Malolactic fermentation is generally avoided on the whites and conducted on the reds. Élevage on the named cuvées typically runs eight to fourteen months before bottling, with the Cour-Cheverny Romorantin receiving longer aging in some vintages.

• Demeter biodynamic certified since the late 2000s; long preceding organic discipline
• Biodynamic preparations, cover crops, manual canopy management, minimal soil disturbance
• Natural-leaning cellar: indigenous yeast fermentations, minimal sulfur additions, some cuvées with very low or no added sulfur
• Whites in stainless steel and used Burgundy barrels; reds in concrete vats; élevage 8 to 14 months on named cuvées

The estate's range covers the full Cheverny appellation portfolio plus Cour-Cheverny Romorantin. Cheverny Blanc is the volume cuvée, blending Sauvignon Blanc (60-80%) with Chardonnay; fermentation in a mix of stainless steel and used Burgundy barrels gives the cuvée its characteristic mineral precision. Cheverny Rouge is a light-bodied blend of Gamay (40-65%) with Pinot Noir, vinified in concrete vats with extended maceration. The Cour-Cheverny Romorantin is bottled separately from rare-variety parcels and is the estate's most concentrated and distinctive white wine, sometimes given longer barrel élevage in favorable vintages. A small line of single-variety cuvées (notably a pure Sauvignon Blanc from a named parcel) has been added in some vintages, reflecting Tessier's growing interest in single-vineyard expression beyond the appellation's blended format.

• Cheverny Blanc: volume cuvée blending Sauvignon Blanc (60-80%) with Chardonnay; stainless steel and used Burgundy barrels for mineral precision
• Cheverny Rouge: light-bodied Gamay-Pinot Noir blend; vinified in concrete vats with extended maceration
• Cour-Cheverny Romorantin: bottled separately from rare-variety parcels; estate's most concentrated and distinctive white
• Small line of single-variety cuvées in some vintages, including pure Sauvignon Blanc from named parcels

Philippe Tessier sits among the central biodynamic producers of the Cheverny appellation, alongside Clos du Tue-Boeuf (Thierry Puzelat's estate) and Domaine des Huards. The Demeter biodynamic certification, the natural-leaning cellar approach, and the focus on Cour-Cheverny Romorantin alongside the standard Cheverny blends give the estate a distinctive identity within the appellation. The work has been one of the central drivers of critical attention on serious quality Cheverny in the post-AOC era (since the 1993 promotion from VDQS), and the estate's biodynamic position aligns it with the broader Loire biodynamic conversation that includes the Vouvray and Anjou-Saumur estates of the past two decades. Widely distributed in specialist circuits in North America and Northern Europe, the wines appear frequently on serious by-the-glass programs as a Cheverny reference.

• Among the central biodynamic producers of Cheverny alongside Clos du Tue-Boeuf and Domaine des Huards
• Demeter biodynamic certification, natural-leaning cellar, and focus on Cour-Cheverny Romorantin give distinctive identity
• One of the central drivers of critical attention on serious quality Cheverny in the post-AOC era
• Position aligns with broader Loire biodynamic conversation; widely distributed in specialist circuits