Jo Pithon, legendary winemaker in Anjou has sold his domaine to Ivan Massonnat after 40 years of dedicating his life to wine. The sale was finalised in September 2018 .
Ivan Massonnat of PAI Partners (one of the biggest investment funds in Europe), has always had a passion for wine and has been searching for a ‘jewel’ in the Loire for some time. He has a house close to Chinon and finally, after 12 years, the opportunity to purchase one of Anjou’s most emblematic domaines including the famous Les Treilles, came up.
Les Treilles – a superb vineyard that produces both high quality dry and sweet Chenin Blanc
Jo Pithon has been a leading light in Anjou for many years. A man of the earth, he has always made wines that truly represent their terroirs and has been one of the key figures behind the emergence of high quality Chenin from the region. He worked organically long before people were talking about the benefits, convinced that working with nature was the key.
The new domaine (that is yet to be named) will include a collection of terroirs representing all the major appellations of Anjou; Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru, Coteaux du Layon, Chaume 1er Cru, Savennières and Anjou Blanc. Investment will be made in the vineyard and winery and carrying on Jo’s vision, the estate will work towards biodynamic certification.
A young winemaker, Adrien Moreau has joined the team and will benefit from Jo’s experience and expertise in the winery.
So, another new chapter begins at the winery with a bigger team and a great looking harvest in 2018.
In addition to Pithon-Paillé estate, Ivan Massonnat has also purchased an addtional 10 hectares (25 acres) in the Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru and Chaume 1er cru appellations. The négoce side of the business will continue as before for the moment and Jo will stay on to ensure a smooth transition.
Ivan Massonnat dream is to make the domaine one of the references in Anjou for high quality Chenin Blanc.
