Domaine Pierre et Bertrand Couly

Domaine Pierre & Bertrand Couly

A family estate in Chinon, in Touraine (Loire), from a lineage of winegrowers dating back to the 15th century. Cabernet Franc and Chenin, grown in agroecology (HVE3), in single-plot cuvees. A modern cellar at the entrance of the town, since 2010.

At the entrance of Chinon, a boldly designed cellar rose from the ground in 2010: that of Pierre and Bertrand Couly, father and son of a lineage of winegrowers dating back to the 15th century. Here, Cabernet Franc and Chenin are grown differently, without pesticide or herbicide, with hives on each plot, trees between the rows and a farmyard of gelines de Touraine to feed the soils. The result: a vineyard that captures more carbon than it emits, and single-plot Chinon, pure and alive. Another idea of the great Loire wine.

The estate's philosophy

To make great wines while caring for the living. At the estate, agroecology is not an argument but a method: biodiversity, respect for soils and terroirs, natural winemaking. And a simple principle, each plot vinified separately, so that the wine faithfully says where it comes from.

The single-plot reds: Le Pérou, La Haute-Olive, Saint-Louans

AOC Chinon - Cabernet Franc, lieux-dits cuvees

Each lieu-dit gives a cuvee apart: Le Perou, La Haute-Olive, Saint-Louans... so many different expressions of Cabernet Franc, the king grape of Chinon. Terroir reds, structured and built for cellaring, each telling its own soil.

The supple, fruity Chinon red

AOC Chinon - Cabernet Franc, to drink young

Cabernet Franc also gives supple, fragrant Chinon, on red fruits, spices, sometimes a note of bell pepper. A gourmet red to drink in its youth, the convivial gateway to the range, vinified plot by plot.

The Chenin whites: Les Blancs Closeaux

AOC Chinon white - Chenin, dry and mineral

Rarer in Chinon, Chenin signs dry, lively and mineral whites, able to age well, like the Les Blancs Closeaux cuvee. A fine facet of the estate's range, between tension and depth.

The Cabernet Franc rosé

AOC Chinon rosé - fresh and thirst-quenching

A fresh, gourmet Cabernet Franc rosé, all fruit, to vary the pleasures around the table. The third colour of Chinon, vinified with the same precision as the reds and the whites.

Agroecology at the heart of the vineyard

Agroforestry, hives, geline de Touraine, HVE3

Trees between the rows (agroforestry), hives on each plot, never-ploughed soils tended by the geline de Touraine, an old local fowl. Neither pesticide nor herbicide: certified HVE3, the estate captures nearly three times more carbon than it emits (Chamber of Agriculture assessment).

A lineage since the 15th century, a 21st-century cellar

Pierre, Bertrand and Vincent Couly

The family descends from a lineage of winegrowers dating back to the 15th century (the Farou, in Saint-Louans). In 2010, Pierre and Bertrand Couly, father and son, set up their estate in a modern cellar, at the entrance of Chinon. The next generation is here: Vincent has joined the estate, chaired by Michele Couly.

Chinon red, white & rosé, direct from the winegrower

Where is Domaine Pierre and Bertrand Couly located?

The estate is based in Chinon, in Touraine (Indre-et-Loire, Loire Valley), in a modern cellar at the entrance of the town. The family has its roots in the neighbouring village of Saint-Louans.

Pierre and Bertrand Couly and Couly-Dutheil, is it the same estate?

No. Pierre and Bertrand Couly is an independent estate, set up in its own cellar at the entrance of Chinon. It is distinct from the Couly-Dutheil house, another Chinon producer: both bear the name of the same family but today form separate estates.

What wines does Domaine Pierre and Bertrand Couly produce?

AOC Chinon wines in the three colours: reds and rosés from Cabernet Franc, whites from Chenin. The estate emphasises single-plot cuvees, from precise lieux-dits (Le Perou, La Haute-Olive, Saint-Louans, Les Blancs Closeaux...).

What is a Chinon wine?

Chinon is an AOC of Touraine, in the Loire Valley. It mainly produces reds (and rosés) based on Cabernet Franc, as well as Chenin whites. The reds range from the fruity, supple wine to terroir cuvees suited to cellaring.

Are Domaine Pierre and Bertrand Couly wines organic?

The estate is certified HVE3 (High Environmental Value) and works in agroecology: neither pesticide nor herbicide, hives on each plot, agroforestry, unploughed soils, and winemaking without added sulfites. For the organic (AB) label specifically, enquire with the estate.

What dish to serve with a Chinon red?

The Chinon red (Cabernet Franc) accompanies charcuterie, white and red meats, poultry, feathered game and Touraine goat cheeses. Serve it at around 15-17 C, a little cooler on the young, fruity cuvees, decanted on the cellaring cuvees.

How long does a Chinon from the estate keep?

The entry-level cuvees are savoured on their fruit, in the early years. The single-plot cuvees, more structured, lend themselves to cellaring: some are aged up to six years before release and can still evolve in the cellar. Keep the bottles lying down, cool and away from light.

Can you visit Domaine Pierre and Bertrand Couly?

Yes, the estate offers a wide wine-tourism programme all year round: free tasting, cellar visit, paired tastings (cheeses, Touraine chocolates), walks in the vines (Segway, scooter or electric quad), educational trail, sensory workshop and escape game. Some activities require booking.

What is the geline de Touraine at the estate?

The geline de Touraine is an old local fowl. At the estate, it tends the never-ploughed soils: it aerates and enriches them naturally, in an agroecological logic that lets biodiversity do the work, without pesticide or herbicide.

What style of wine does Chinon Cabernet Franc give?

The king grape of Chinon, Cabernet Franc gives supple, fragrant reds (red fruits, spices, sometimes a note of bell pepper) and fresh, gourmet rosés. Vinified plot by plot, it reveals all the diversity of the estate's soils, from supple fruit to great cellaring.

What to pair with a Chinon white (Chenin) from the estate?

The Chinon Chenin white, dry and mineral, accompanies fish, seafood, Touraine goat cheeses and poultry in cream. Lively in its youth, it can also age well and gain in complexity.

Can you buy Domaine Pierre and Bertrand Couly wines directly?

Yes: the estate's Chinon (single-plot reds Le Perou, La Haute-Olive, Saint-Louans, Chenin whites, rosés) are available here, in short circuit and direct from the winegrower, as close as possible to the estate price, shipped with care across France and Europe.

Direct from the winegrower, the agroecology Chinon

Domaine Pierre & Bertrand Couly: a family estate in Chinon, in Touraine (Indre-et-Loire, Loire Valley), from a lineage of winegrowers dating back to the 15th century (the Farou, in Saint-Louans). Pierre and Bertrand Couly set up their modern cellar at the entrance of Chinon in 2010; the next generation is Vincent, the estate being chaired by Michele Couly. Grapes: Cabernet Franc (reds and rosés) and Chenin (whites). Viticulture in agroecology, certified HVE3: agroforestry, hives, geline de Touraine, neither pesticide nor herbicide, favourable carbon balance. Natural winemaking with indigenous yeasts, without added sulfites, lightened bottles.

Single-plot cuvees: Chinon red Le Perou, La Haute-Olive, Saint-Louans (Cabernet Franc), Chinon white Les Blancs Closeaux (Chenin), Chinon rosé (Cabernet Franc)