Hervé Villemade
The Domaine Hervé Villemade is one of the most emblematic estates in the central Loire, in the heart of the Cheverny appellation, a wine-growing area made up of woods, rivers and clearings that protect the vineyards like a natural amphitheatre. The winery's roots date back to the 1930s, when grandparents Désiré and Gilberte began cultivating the land. However, it was Hervé who took over the domaine and, since 1995, has led it in a clear and radical direction. Together with his sister Isabelle, Hervé decided to break with conventional viticulture and focus entirely on quality, the bottle and the most sincere expression of local grape varieties.
Hervé Villemade's production philosophy is a declaration of love for his territory, but also for the soil, the plants and the weather. Since 1999, the vineyards have been cultivated organically, with practices that also take biodynamics into account: no synthetic chemicals, soil cultivation, selected grass cover and great attention to natural balance. Yields are deliberately low and harvesting is done by hand to preserve the integrity of the fruit. In the cellar, the approach is equally meticulous and minimalist: spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, no clarification or invasive filtration, and the use of sulphur reduced to the bare minimum during bottling. The aim is not to 'build' the wine, but to accompany it, letting the vintage and the vineyard speak for themselves.
In the glass, Hervé Villemade's wines are a clear expression of the less obvious side of the Loire. The whites, from Cheverny to Cour-Cheverny based on the rare native Romorantin grape, impress with their tension, aromatic precision and crystal-clear drinkability, where fruit and freshness intertwine without ever being excessive. The reds, often based on Pinot Noir, Gamay and Côt (or Malbec), are subtle, juicy, playing more on elegance than power. They are 'fair' wines, as Hervé likes to say: honest, lively, capable of telling the story of their place of origin and offering immediate but never banal pleasure. An authentic Loire, artisanal but deeply contemporary.
The Domaine Hervé Villemade is one of the most emblematic estates in the central Loire, in the heart of the Cheverny appellation, a wine-growing area made up of woods, rivers and clearings that protect the vineyards like a natural amphitheatre. The winery's roots date back to the 1930s, when grandparents Désiré and Gilberte began cultivating the land. However, it was Hervé who took over the domaine and, since 1995, has led it in a clear and radical direction. Together with his sister Isabelle, Hervé decided to break with conventional viticulture and focus entirely on quality, the bottle and the most sincere expression of local grape varieties.
Hervé Villemade's production philosophy is a declaration of love for his territory, but also for the soil, the plants and the weather. Since 1999, the vineyards have been cultivated organically, with practices that also take biodynamics into account: no synthetic chemicals, soil cultivation, selected grass cover and great attention to natural balance. Yields are deliberately low and harvesting is done by hand to preserve the integrity of the fruit. In the cellar, the approach is equally meticulous and minimalist: spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, no clarification or invasive filtration, and the use of sulphur reduced to the bare minimum during bottling. The aim is not to 'build' the wine, but to accompany it, letting the vintage and the vineyard speak for themselves.
In the glass, Hervé Villemade's wines are a clear expression of the less obvious side of the Loire. The whites, from Cheverny to Cour-Cheverny based on the rare native Romorantin grape, impress with their tension, aromatic precision and crystal-clear drinkability, where fruit and freshness intertwine without ever being excessive. The reds, often based on Pinot Noir, Gamay and Côt (or Malbec), are subtle, juicy, playing more on elegance than power. They are 'fair' wines, as Hervé likes to say: honest, lively, capable of telling the story of their place of origin and offering immediate but never banal pleasure. An authentic Loire, artisanal but deeply contemporary.
