CHATEAU DE BOIS-BRINCON

The castle (château) de Bois-Brinçon is located near the village of Blaison-Gottier, 12 miles east of Angers and 15 miles west of Saumur. It is certainly one of the oldest vineyards of Anjou since its origin goes back to the XIII century. As early as 1170, Fontero, in his writings, mentions “Boscus Breceii” the latin name for Bois-Brinçon (meaning little woods).
In 1219 the Chapter St. Jean Baptiste d’Angers (Hospital St. Jean d’Angers) owned uncultivable land that they rented to farmers and requested that vines be planted within two years. The farmers had to pay 13 deniers on the Day of St. Denis, plus a certain amount at the harvest time since they could only use the press of the Chapter to make their wine. 15 years later, in 1234, a chateau was built. This property with all its important privileges, had been given to the Hospital by Charles the Bold and became on of the principal holdings of the hospital .
In 1265 this domaine took the name of Bois Brinçon. Bois Brinçon was confiscated during the revolution and sold in auction. Everything was sold nationally on September 1791 (Celestin port 1878). Leon Cailleau, an oil maker in Brissac, 3 miles south of the property, acquired the property in 1892. Today the vineyard is owned by Geraldine and Xavier Cailleau (5th generation). It is 27 hectares (67 acres) spread over 5 different communes (villages) of Anjou.
The extreme diversity and the geographic location of numerous small vineyards generate a big variety of conditions of production, The soil – the varietal – the climate all result in an important number of different wines.