In Savennières, Éric Morgat shapes Chenin away from trends
Since 1995, Éric Morgat has been exploring the possibilities of Chenin on the schist slopes of Savennières. Between conserving grape varieties, sacrificing yields and questioning the climate, the winegrower pursues a patient approach based on trial and error, humility and time.
On the way home, as we retraced the thread of a conversation as rich as it was rambling, we asked ourselves: at what point had we left our fevered times to enter this timeless, calm and reassuring atmosphere? was it when we crossed the metal bridge over the full, sleepy Loire to the timeless village of Savennières (Maine-et-Loire)? On the cobbled lanes, surrounded by stone walls, that lead straight to this tiny 5th-century church? Perhaps by walking through the door of A table chez Mili, with its square floor tiles and single-menu restaurant, offering simple cuisine untouched by Instagram standards? Or even more likely, entering the estate of Éric Morgat, a skeptical winemaker with a hunting jacket and slashing eyebrows?
Schist and sand
Born into a family of winegrowers in the coteaux-du-layon appellation "for many, many generations", Éric Morgat is initially reluctant to talk about himself. It's as if he's afraid of being trapped in a narrative, a trend or a fashion, something he's avoided all his life...
