Terres d’Imaginaire
Region // ROCHEFORT-SUR-LOIRE, ANJOU
Size // 9.2 ha
Viticulture // ORGANIC (CURRENTLY NOT CERTIFIED)
Varieties // Red: CABERNET FRANC, PINEAU D’AUNIS // White: CHENIN, SAUVIGNON BLANC
Winemakers // MATHILDE MAGNE
Established // 2022
The name Terres d’Imaginaire symbolises the union between the earth and creativity, allowing Mathilde to express her respect for the terroir while experimenting. Her estate, a heartfelt project shared with her husband Nicolas, combines rigour and imagination to produce wines imbued with light, freshness, and energy.
Founded in 2022 by Mathilde Magne, an agronomist and oenologist, Terres d’Imaginaire embodies her vision: to create wines that reflect their environment while remaining true to the authenticity of the terroir of Rochefort-sur-Loire.
Mathilde, who honed her skills alongside renowned names such as Sylvain Pataille and Stefano Amerighi, approaches viticulture with scientific rigour combined with a deep passion for nature. She takes a respectful approach to the soil, focusing on the preservation of biodiversity: grass cover, co-planting, and mass selection are integral to her work. Through sustainable viticultural practices, she fosters a harmonious interaction between the vines and their environment, reducing human intervention to allow the terroir to express itself fully.
Purple schist found in Coteau Roux single vineyard
The estate currently spans 9.2 hectares, with a limited production of 30,000 bottles per year. This intentional restriction ensures exceptional wine quality, produced from low yields that guarantee concentrated and homogeneous grapes. Each plot receives careful attention, allowing the vines to develop naturally, free from compaction or excessive pressure. The flagship wine, Feu Follet, perfectly reflects this approach: a bright, energetic, and fresh wine that evokes the purity of the land.
The estate’s main grape varieties include Chenin, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Franc, along with lesser-known varieties such as Pineau d'Aunis and Grolleau Gris. The diversity of soils—clay, sandstone, and particularly schist—allows for a wide range of expressions in the wines. They stand out for their airy, nervous, and electric character, while also offering a comforting softness. The approach is very much in line with Mathilde’s personality: flowery, imaginative language, with a positive and generous energy that is pleasantly contagious.
In winemaking, Mathilde adopts a minimalist approach: fermentations are carried out with native yeasts, and sulphites are added only when strictly necessary. The wines are aged in oak barrels, foudres, or stainless steel tanks, depending on the specificities of each vintage. The wines benefit from long aging, allowing them to stabilise and develop complexity.
Mathilde, a passionate equestrian, works the land with horses, fostering a deep connection with nature. This approach is reflected in her wines, which balance freshness with aging potential.
Les vins des Terres d’Imaginaire
VDF CLAIR ET OBSCUR (2023)
Style: Light Red / Dark Rosé
Variety: 91% Cabernet Franc, 9% Pineau d’Aunis
Abv: 13.5%
Region: Anjou, Loire
Terroir: The vines were planted in 1958 and 2017, rooted in deep soils of schist, sandstone, and some puddingstone, with a clayey sandy texture.
The grapes are hand-harvested.
Winemaking: Fermentation using native yeasts, the wine undergoes fermentation with a focus on preserving the natural character of the grapes.
91% Cabernet Franc: The grapes are gently pressed in whole clusters for a swift extraction, followed by fermentation and maturation in tanks.
9% Pineau d'Aunis: A 50/50 blend of destemmed and whole bunches undergoes maceration, arranged in layers. Light foot treading is employed, and the wine is racked midway through fermentation. It is then matured in old 225L barrels, previously used for 5 other wines.
Only 1 g/hl of SO2 is added at the end of maturation, followed by another 1 g/hl before bottling. All wine movements are carried out under a blanket of CO2 and nitrogen to preserve freshness and avoid oxidation.
Tasting notes:
VDF Feu Follet (2023)
Style: White
Variety: 100% Chenin
Abv: 12%
Region: Anjou, Loire
Terroir: The vines, planted between the 1980, 1990, 2024 and 2016, thrive on a terroir of green to grey schistous sandstone.
Hand-harvested grapes.
Winemaking: Hand-harvested grapes. The wine is fermented using indigenous yeasts to enhance the expression of its natural origins.
50% of the wine is fermented and aged in tanks, while the remaining 50% is matured in 600L, 500L, and 350L barrels, with 10% of the barrels being new and 90% having been used for 8 to 10 previous vintages.Only 1 g/hl of SO2 is added at the end of maturation, followed by an additional 1 g/hl before bottling. All wine movements are conducted under a protective blanket of CO2 and nitrogen to maintain the wine's freshness.
Tasting notes:
VDF Mirage (2023)
Style: Orange
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Abv: 13.5%
Region: Anjou, Loire
Terroir: The vines were planted in 1977 and 2022, growing in deep soils of schist, sandstone, and some conglomerates, with a clayey sand texture.
Winemaking: The grapes are hand-harvested and undergo fermentation with native yeasts. A 10-day skin maceration takes place, with 100% destemming.
The wine is aged with 70% in tank and 30% in 228L barrels from 8 previous wines.
During the aging process, 1 g/hl of SO2 is added at the racking stage, followed by an additional 1 g/hl before bottling. All wine movements are carried out under an inert atmosphere of CO2 and nitrogen.
Tasting notes:
VDF Pièce de Rollay (2023)
Style: White
Variety: 100% Chenin
Abv: 12%
Region: Anjou, Loire
Terroir: The vines, planted in 1939 using massal selection, grow on sandstone schists and green schists over phthanite beds.
Winemaking: Hand-harvested at the end of September.
Fermentation with native yeasts. Vinification and aging take place 100% in barrels, of which 50% are new.
1 g/hl of SO2 is added at the end of aging during racking, with an additional 1 g/hl before bottling. All wine movements are carried out under an inert atmosphere of CO2 and nitrogen.
Tasting notes:
VDF Coteau Roux (2023)
Style: White
Variety: 100% Chenin
Abv: 12%
Region: Anjou, Loire
Terroir: The vines were planted in 1993 on a steep slope. The terroir consists of purple schist and quartz, with a texture of silt and clay at the base of the slope.
Winemaking: Hand-harvested at the end of September.
Fermentation with native yeasts.
Vinification and aging take place 100% in barrels, of which 10% are new.
1 g/hl of SO2 is added during the racking at the end of aging, with an additional 1 g/hl before bottling. All wine movements are carried out under an inert atmosphere of CO2 and nitrogen.
Tasting notes: