Where would Anjou be without Mark Angeli? A chemistry student-turned-stonemason, Mark left his home in Aix-en-Provence in the late 80s to study at Château La Tour Blanche in Sauternes. Keen to realise their passion for moelleux wines, Mark and his wife Christine were drawn to the vineyards of Bonnezeaux and purchased their now iconic estate in nearby Thouarcé in 1989. Aghast at the overcropping and widespread chemical usage of local farmers, and, recognising that a healthy, biodiverse estate was integral to growing the best quality fruit, Angeli introduced biodynamic farming to his 7ha of vines from the outset. He also pivoted away from the sweet styles long associated with Anjou and began to ferment his wines – released ever since as Vin de France – to increasing levels of dryness. Since the 1990s, his domaine La Ferme de la Sansonnière has not only redefined the style of the region’s wines, but attracted and trained many of the Loire’s new generation of talent.
