Isabelle Suire is a fourth-generation winemaker based in Berrie, a village located just south of Saumur in the Loire Valley. She took over her family’s 17-hectare estate in 2007, cultivating Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Her Saumur Blanc comes from two parcels in Berrie, Clos Berrie and Chillois, planted between the early 1980s and 2012, on soils rich in turonian clay-limestone. The Saumur Rouge is made from grapes grown on a west-facing, clay-limestone parcel planted in 2016.
Inspired by her mentor and friend Romain Guiberteau, Isabelle is in the process of transitioning her vineyards to organic farming, with certification anticipated in 2026. Her farming practices include the use of cover crops during humid seasons, enriching soils with local cow manure, and employing high trellising for improved canopy management. To further refine her methods and enhance soil health, she collaborates with Michel Chevré, a noted biodynamic expert from Clos de L’Ecotard.
In the cellar, Isabelle takes a minimalist approach. For her whites, she uses pneumatic pressing, followed by ambient yeast fermentation in stainless steel tanks, and carefully manages sulfur additions. Her reds are fermented for a week in stainless steel vats and then aged for six months in stainless steel or concrete tanks.
