Domaine Philippe Tessier

Cheverny, Loire Valley

The 23 hectares of Domaine Philippe Tessier were established in 1961 by Roger Tessier and were farmed by his son Phillippe from 1981 until 2022. Today, Philippe’s son Simon and wife Marie run the show and remain some of the most respected producers in this part of the Loire producing honest wines full of energy and life.

This is the edge of the wine growing area for the Loire Valley proper with a cool microclimate producing wines with tension and vibrancy. A combination of soil types that sit atop the limestone bedrock, ensure freshness and minerality is present in all the region’s wines.

The vines at Tessier benefit from rich biodiversity, encouraged by grassing in between the rows with strictly no chemical inputs. They have been certified organic since 1998 and Simon & Marie treat the vineyards with the utmost respect; working the soil or treating according to the annual requirements of the vineyard, not a recipe. They harvest exclusively by hand – rare in his part of the Loire.

To continue the same spirit used in the vineyards, minimal intervention is used in the winery with no added yeasts or sulphites during production. Wines are fermented and aged in a wide selection of vessels and materials and they even have some Georgian kvevri installed in the winery; we knew we were in the right place when we spotted those in the cellar!

It is the Tessier philosophy that their artisanal wines should give the drinker pleasure but also be healthy, alive and natural. Try a glass for yourself – the vibrancy and purity is evident in the glass!