From one of the Loire’s most distinctive terroirs and one of its most visionary winemakers, Ronceray is Château de Plaisance’s premiere dry chenin blanc—grown on the famed Chaume hill, long known for its botrytised wines but now reclaimed for thrillingly precise, mineral whites. The cuvée takes its name from the abbesses of the Ronceray Abbey, who stewarded these vineyards in the 11th century, and today it represents the purest expression of the Butte de Chaume’s potential for dry wine. 

The estate is run by Vanessa Cherruau, a former journalist turned winemaker who took over Château de Plaisance in 2019 after convincing the Rochais family to sell her their historic, organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards. In just a few vintages, she has emerged as a leading voice in Anjou, championing biodiversity, low-impact viticulture, and a revival of dry chenin on a hill once reserved for sweet wine. 

Made from 45-year-old vines grown on schist, spilite, and sandstone, Ronceray is fermented with native yeasts and aged in a mix of foudre and stainless steel, with partial malolactic fermentation. It is full-bodied yet taut, with notes of glazed citrus, yellow stone fruit, and crushed herbs over a saline, tension-filled frame. 

This is chenin blanc that confirms Vanessa Cherruau as a leading force in the new Loire.