The territory:
A priority for Claude is the search for the maximum mineral expression of the terroir, which he pursues with meticulous application in the vineyard. His deep knowledge of the theories of his neighbour Nicolas Joly and his friend Jean-Michel Deiss does not prevent him from creating his own theories and experimenting them in the vineyard, with qualitative results that speak for themselves. Regarding the plant defence, Claude avoids insecticides and relies on seaweed, pine oil and organic compounds. Once Claude Papin starts explaining you his research for «aromatic polyphony» or that «the personality of a wine is linked to the slow evolution of its polyphenols», then you understand that you are dealing with a rather sophisticated mind. This, of course, would mean nothing if the wines were disappointing, but the fact is that Papin produces some of the greatest Chenin Blanc and Gamay not only in the Loire, but in France. Another of Papin's convictions about Chenin is that «once it was a red grape» - and he belongs to that French avant-garde that thoroughly macerates the skins of white grapes in order to extract tannins which, he claims, help give wines longevity. Papin is certainly the greatest winegrower in the «Jardin de la France» and the good news is that he and his sons René and Christophe have 54 hectares to work.
