La Ferme de La Sansonnière

Mark Angéli, alongside his close ally Nicolas Joly, has been a leading figure in the natural wine movement. He farms 7 hectares of vineyards and 4 hectares of fruit and vegetables in Anjou, in the Loire Valley. Rather than calling his estate a “domaine,” he refers to it as “La Ferme” (the farm), and describes himself as a “paysan” (peasant).

In pursuit of self-sufficiency, he keeps a small herd of cows for compost, meat, and milk (for cheese), as well as hens for eggs and meat, and bees for honey.

The land is cultivated according to biodynamic principles, and the farm is conceived as a self-contained ecosystem—almost like a small planet—where livestock and diverse crops coexist to create a balanced and sustainable environment, resulting in healthy produce and wines.

In the cellar, Angéli also works in a natural manner. He uses sulfur of volcanic origin rather than petrochemical-derived sulfur, which is commonly used in conventional winemaking. Together with like-minded producers, he has succeeded in reducing sulfur usage to less than half of typical levels.

He and his peers believe that producers should disclose detailed information about ingredients and interventions (such as SO₂, sucrose, sorbic acid, and cultured yeasts), as well as any organic certification. In line with this philosophy, La Ferme de la Sansonnière provides this information on its labels as a commitment to transparency.

Like many quality-focused natural wine producers in the Loire Valley, Mark Angéli was not originally from the region (he is from Provence). After many twists and turns, he arrived at La Sansonnière in 1989, almost by chance—one factor being the relatively affordable vineyard prices in the area, among the lowest in France.

At the time, very few producers in the region were focused on quality. Since the 1960s, most had prioritized volume, relying heavily on machinery, fertilizers, and agricultural chemicals.

A pivotal encounter with Nicolas Joly helped point Angéli in a new direction, leading him to adopt biodynamic farming. In 2017, he cultivates 4 hectares of Chenin Blanc, 2 hectares of Grolleau Gris, and 1 hectare of Grolleau Noir. He has ceased working with Cabernet Sauvignon, while Cabernet Franc is maintained only for grafting purposes. Biodynamic practices combined with extremely low yields bring remarkable concentration and purity to the wines. (After the transition to Martial’s generation, the estate reduced its plantings of Grolleau and shifted its focus more toward Chenin Blanc.)

La Lune is made from Chenin Blanc and serves as the domaine’s standard cuvée, aged for one year in barrel. There is also an “Amphores” version, aged for one year in buried amphorae (2015-2019). Another Chenin Blanc cuvée, Les Fouchardes (a monopole), comes from vines planted in 1970 and is aged for two years in barrel before bottling. The top cuvée, Vieilles Vignes des Blanderies, is likewise aged for two years in barrel, from vines planted in 1949. Rosé d’un Jour is made from Grolleau Gris. All the wines retain some residual sugar and are therefore slightly richer than typical dry wines.

Mark Angéli previously released his wines under AOC classifications such as Bonnezeaux and Anjou. However, he chose to declassify all of his wines to Vin de France in protest against the INAO (Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité), which he believes has failed to adequately restrict pesticide use and to lower permitted yield limits.

Since the 1960s, there has been a marked decline in quality in the region. Much of this is attributed to regulatory decisions that favored high-yielding clones and rootstocks, as well as the widespread promotion of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Nicolas Joly and Mark Angéli have long resisted this trend and have worked to promote more sustainable and quality-driven practices.

Their influence has spread globally, and the number of natural wine producers following their philosophy continues to grow each year. At the same time, demand—driven increasingly by consumers—has risen sharply, often outpacing supply.

Artisan growers like Mark Angéli typically farm small holdings of less than 10 hectares, with most of the work carried out by family members or a small team. Their focus is on quality rather than volume, so production remains inherently limited.

Angéli believes that the only long-term solution is to increase the number of producers who share the same philosophy. For this reason, he and other like-minded growers actively support and encourage newcomers to establish themselves in the region and begin winemaking from the ground up.

Despite the strong demand for high-quality natural wines in recent years, Mark Angéli and his peers strive to keep their prices at levels that allow them to make a decent living without becoming excessively profit-driven.

They are, above all, wine drinkers themselves, and they want to enjoy the wines they produce at prices that remain accessible. For them, this way of life is cultural as much as agricultural—it is not about maximizing profit, but about sustaining a meaningful and satisfying livelihood.

>>>Read more stories at the News Archive