Collection: INTRODUCING
Pierre-Gilles Euzen

The Anjou region has been an incubator in recent decades for France’s most exciting néo-vignerons, new producers who left their previous jobs behind for a second life in winemaking. And Pierre-Gilles Euzen is at the forefront of the latest wave of newcomers, attracted by the excellent vine material, relatively low vineyard pricing and a welcoming community of like-minded winemakers.

A former engineer from Brittany, Pierre-Gilles was introduced to the early Loire natural wines at a young age (his uncle Joël owned a pioneering Breton natural wine shop in the 2000s) but it wasn’t until he was transferred by his job to the Anjou area in 2018 that he became more interested in winemaking itself. A chance meeting with Simon Batadiere encouraged him to make the leap and he produced his first cuvées in 2021 at his micro-winery in Beaulieu-sur-Layon (the cuverie is in an annex garage across the street from Pierre-Gilles’ house, just enough space for his tanks, a few pallets of bottled wine and his oak barrels used for aging Chenin).

From the outset, it has helped that Pierre-Gilles has a good eye for finding excellent vineyard sites. Most of his Chenin Blanc and the Cabernet Franc come from old-vine plots around Beaulieu (vineyards which he has embellished by co-planting fruit trees — pears, apples and apricots – in the rows). And he recently acquired a small plot in the prized vineyard of Montbenault in nearby Rablay-sur-Layon (made famous by cult winemakers Richard Leroy and Thomas Batardière).

In the cellar, Pierre-Gilles brings an engineer’s perspective to winemaking, he is looking to make more precise natural wines with age-ability. His Chenin Blancs are all raised in barrels (between 3 and 10 years old); for the first few years he did about 8 months aging on the lees and is now aiming for more prolonged elevation (1 year or so) for the 2023 vintage.

His reds are made in a more playful manner, partially de-stemmed and aged for 6 months in fiberglass tanks — these are intended to be drunk sooner. No sulfur is employed throughout, and no filtration either. Finally, sparkling wine has been P.G.’s mind since the 2022 vintage, when he produced an rosé of Cabernet and Chenin with some residual sugar. He is aiming for a more precise sparkler now, a declassified Crémant de la Loire (champagne method), which will see its release in early 2025.

Bolstered by community support from his friends and fellow-winemakers Simon Batardière (and his brother Thomas), Simon Rouillard and our own Guillaume Noire, Pierre-Gilles has quickly found a place in the Anjou conversation. We’re excited to introduce him to the US !