Thomas Batardière is a doer and does not stand still – born in 1980 in Angers, he studied anthropology and got bitten by the wine bug in 2008 while working as a cinematographer. Switching career path he worked as a sommelier first but being drawn to winemaking he decided to join Château Yvonne (Saumur, Anjou Blanc). Voluble, passionate and not afraid of a challenge he quickly became Mathieu Vallée’s right-hand man whilst studying viticulture in Beaune.
He finally struck out on his own in Rablay-sur-Layon (Anjou Noir) in 2012, buying a couple of hectares of his beloved chenin but without any equipment or cellar. He built the latter as well as his house right next door to Richard Leroy with whom he has become close. The two exchange a lot, so much so that there are talks about buying and operating a brand-new press together.
Most of the 30 to 90yo vines are in the lieu-dit L’Éspérance near Rablay-sur-Layon, next to the Domaine des Sablonettes (Jérémy Ménard and Thomas are mates regularly helping each other) on a gravelly plateau of red sand, quartz and clay. Thomas prefers stainless steel to accentuate chenin’s natural tension, a judicious choice in the recent hot vintages. This wine ages on fine lees without sulphur until bottling in the summer. It is fruit-forward but still bright and crisp with a strong saline stamp.
Producer Thomas Batardiere
Origin Rablay-sur-Layon, Maine-et-Loire, Loire, France
Grapes Chenin blanc
Vintage 2020
Alcohol 13.5% ABV
Style Medium body white
Bottle size 750ml
Winemaking Manual harvest, gently pressed, fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeast, undergoes malolactic fermentation.
Notes Natural, Organic, Biodynamic
United Kingdom
All orders are shipped with Packfleet and DHL/DPD couriers; the estimated delivery time is between 1 to 3 working days from the processing moment. Orders placed Mon - Fri before midday (12pm) will be processed the same day. On delivery day, you will receive a text message from the courier with a 1-hour delivery window.
London within M25* - PACKFLEET (delivery Monday to Saturday)
- £7.99 for orders below £80
- £5.99 for orders over £80
- FREE for orders over £120
*All Postcodes within M25, see the full lis here https://app.packfleet.com/coverage
England, Wales and Scotland - DHL/DPD (delivery Monday to Saturday)
- £7.99 for orders below £80
- £5.99 for orders over £80
- FREE for orders over £120
Northern Ireland, Scottish Highlands, and Islands* - DHL/DPD (delivery Monday to Friday)
- £9.99 for orders below £150
- FREE for orders over £150
*Postcodes (AB31-AB38, AB40-AB56, IV1-IV63, HS, KW1-KW17, PA20-PA38, PA41-PA49, PA60-PA78, PH4-PH44, PH49-PH50, BT, ZE, IM(Isle of Man), Channel Islands)
Europe
Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia
Unfortunately at this moment we are not able to ship to Spain
All orders are shipped via UPS Express Delivery. The estimated delivery time is between 3 to 8 working days from the moment of processing.
We offer shipping to all the countries mentioned above for a flat fee of £18.99 per order, regardless of size or weight. Unfortunately, we cannot offer free shipping to these countries.
Due to internal regulations, we are unable to ship our wines to Sweden or Finland.
As an international customer, we will not charge you UK VAT or taxes. However, based on your country's regulations, you will need to pay customs and handling fees, which are generally around 20%.
USA, Canada, Asia, Australia
Although we ship regularly to these countries, we are unable to provide a fixed cost for shipping due to constant rate changes. Please contact us for a bespoke quote.
If your country is not listed in any of the categories above, please get in touch, and we'll be happy to assist and provide a quote if possible.
Packaging
We use only sustainable, recycled and recycling packaging that provides the highest standard of protection to the bottles. When possible, your wine is delivered in reused but reliable packaging that significantly helps the environment and also keeps down unnecessary costs, allowing the wines to do the talking.
Large deliveries
In some cases, large deliveries will be sent out with a wine courier and delivery time might vary. Please get in touch for more info.
