Francois Blanchard

Francois has dedicated most of his life to music. A well-known jazz musician, Francois decided to take the reigns of his family's chateau and property in Lemere (40 km south of Tours) in the mid-2000s.

Francois is a holistic and immersive human through and through. He farms and tends to his beloved 2 hectare vineyard Le Grand Clere vineyard with this mindset. Solely relying on the help from his friends in the natural world - fruit trees, horses, cover crops, native insects, etc. - this vineyard is teeming with life and diversity.

The wines from Francois reflect his character as well as the life within the vines and the clay/silex soil beneath. They are a concentrated and potion-like pair of the man and the place. The wines themselves are few in total and often find their way to amazing corners of the world. Highly sought after by those dedicated to vin nature. Francois is one of the most universally respected and loved vignerons that I have come to know. A range of his beautiful 2019 wines will be arriving in February 2021.

Brett