Évelyne de Pontbriand had been at the head of the Domaine du Closel since 2001.
The mayor of Savennières said that ‘the local profession is stunned’ by the passing of Evelyne de Pontbriand, who died in her sleep on 5 November in Angers.
Evelyne de Pontbriand was born into a distinguished family of female vigneronnes in the aftermath of the Second World War.
Although she initially pursued a career in education, she returned to her ancestral home in 2001 to take over the family business, Domaine du Closel – Château des Vaults.
Her mother, Michèle Bazin de Jessey, handed her the reins, and that marked the beginning of a transformative chapter for Domaine du Closel and the wider Savennières appellation in the Loire Valley.
Evelyne de Pontbriand brought a new lease of life to the historic family estate, which can trace its roots back to the 15th century.
She placed a heavy emphasis on sustainability, and she set about converting the vineyards to organic and biodynamic production.
Another key focus was expression of terroir, so she partnered with a renowned local geologist to catalogue and study each vineyard parcel in painstaking detail.
Meanwhile, she overhauled the winemaking process. Her move to a natural approach in the cellar, employing indigenous yeasts and minimal sulphur, underscored her mission to craft wines that truly captured the essence of Savennières.
‘Being as close as possible to the rhythms that affect both the vine and the wine produced from it, helping the vine to help itself, to use living things to perpetuate life, seemed to me to be the path to excellence,’ she told Decanter.com in 2020.
Her wines earned strong reviews and high scores from critics, which helped to put Savennières on the map.
She was equally adept at the commercial side of the business, establishing new markets and bolstering sales across Europe, North America and Asia.
Evelyne de Pontbriand served as the president of the Savennières appellation from 2008 to 2016.
Midway through her tenure, she told wholesaler Louis Dressner: ‘When I was first elected, I wasn’t too sure what I was supposed to do. So I decided to gather all the vignerons, get them drunk, and asked what they expected of me. It worked out great.
‘We debated on what we expected of our appellation, and I suppose this is the role of the president: to create an identity and to communicate it to the rest of the world.’
Her leadership inspired a renewed focus on Chenin Blanc, while also boosting wine tourism in the region. She said she felt ‘a great ambiance between everyone in Savennières’ during her time in charge of the appellation.
She also co-founded the Académie du Chenin, hosted the first international congress of Chenin Blanc, and served as a tireless champion of the grape variety on the global stage.
Beverley Blanning MW, wine writer and Decanter contributor, paid tribute to de Pontbriand on Instagram: ‘A pioneer of the Savennières appellation, she was a woman of great energy, passion, kindness and humour.
‘She always made time to talk and to taste, always with her characteristic, infectious smile.’
Evelyne de Pontbriand is survived by her husband, Gael de Pontbriand, her four children – Isaure, Gersende, Romuald and Aymeric – and six grandchildren.
In a statement, her family said it remains ‘committed to honouring Evelyne’s legacy in Savennières, ensuring her vision and passion live on’.
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