The archangel of Anjou: Ivan Massonnat
Ivan Massonnat in the cellar at Domaine Belargus. Photograph: Jean-Yves Bardin
The Loire is a fascinating region; varied, complex, historic. Sancerre might be a household name for the middle classes, yet the wines – beyond a few specific names – don’t have the cachet of Burgundy and Bordeaux. Perhaps it’s because it majors in white wine, rather than red. In the fringes of wine, it’s become cool – a beating heart of the natural wine movement, home to La Dive. But now one man has made it his mission to prove that Anjou, and indeed soon Chinon, deserve a place at the table. I sat down with Ivan Massonnat of Domaine Belargus to find out more.
