Domaine Les Ormousseaux

Domaine Les Ormousseaux sits just outside Saint-Père in the Nièvre, right in the heart of the Centre-Loire. The estate takes its name from a lieu-dit that's been part of the local landscape for generations. In April 2021, Clément Jolivet and his wife Riandri Visser took over this historic property and gave it new life. Clément was born in Cosne-sur-Loire and comes from a long line of winemakers in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, so wine runs deep in his veins. The domaine spreads across nearly 28 hectares split between two appellations: 13.89 hectares in Pouilly-Fumé and 14.3 hectares in Coteaux du Giennois. The Pouilly-Fumé parcels are planted in Tracy-sur-Loire, in a place called La Roche, right next to the Loire River with a stunning view of the Sancerre hill. The two parcels, Les Froids and Le Champ de l'Abreu, sit in an old flint quarry where they once extracted around 1,000 tonnes of silex. The sandy soils are dominated by flint and offer little vigor, but the vines respond by producing small, compact bunches with tiny berries full of concentrated juice. For the Coteaux du Giennois, the estate works two parcels called Les Colmines and Les Ormousseaux, both strategically planted on south-facing slopes to catch maximum sunlight.

A Fresh Start with Deep Roots

When Clément and Riandri arrived, they found a domaine that needed serious attention. Nearly 50 percent of the vines were missing, so they rolled up their sleeves and started replanting. But they didn't just replant, they transformed the entire approach. From day one, they committed to organic farming and the estate received its official organic certification for the 2024 vintage. Riandri brings 10 years of experience making Sauvignon Blanc, including time at Cape Point Vineyards in South Africa. Clément's studies took him to 26 wine-growing countries, including a stint at the historic Klein Constantia estate in South Africa, where he met Riandri. Their winemaking philosophy is simple and honest. They work the soils mechanically to manage cover crops without any chemical products, preserving the microbial life and biodiversity of the vineyard. They harvest at night to keep the grapes fresh and avoid oxidation, a practice that's uncommon but incredibly effective for preserving aromatic freshness. In the cellar, they keep things clean and precise. Fermentations happen spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in different vessels: stainless steel tanks, 600-liter demi-muids, and 220-liter wineglobes. The wines age on fine lees for about 12 months without batonnage or filtration.

Three Wines, Pure Expression

The domaine produces just three wines, and that's it. No endless lineup, just focused expressions of terroir. The Pouilly-Fumé comes from those old flint soils in the former quarry at Tracy-sur-Loire. The wine shows delicate aromas of grapefruit, white blossom, and flint on the nose, with typical minerality and tension on the palate. The finish is long and crisp with that hint of smokiness you expect from a proper Pouilly-Fumé. They also make a cuvée called Fumette, which comes from a specific section of one of their Pouilly-Fumé parcels. It offers more generous fruit expression while keeping that characteristic mineral backbone. The Coteaux du Giennois blanc is made from Sauvignon Blanc grown on clay-limestone soils streaked with flint, showing floral finesse and vibrant purity. Finally, there's a Coteaux du Giennois rouge, a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay from 3.9 hectares planted on south-facing parcels. The wine shows a bright ruby color with expressive aromas of red fruits, crushed raspberries, and strawberry coulis. It's elegant and light, with a spicy, gourmand character. The wines are straight, crystalline, and tense, offering a contemporary and luminous vision of great Loire whites and a sincere expression of this underrated corner of the Centre-Loire.