Maison Bodet-Hérold and Etienne Bodet

A fifth-generation vigneron from Montreuil-Bellay in the Loire Valley, Etienne Bodet brings together a remarkable breadth of winemaking experience. Having worked at the legendary Clos Rougeard, he has also honed his craft alongside some of France’s most respected producers, including his stepfather and mentor Romain Guiberteau, Sylvain Pataille in Burgundy and Aurélien Gerbais in Champagne. These experiences shaped his approach to winemaking, combining a respect for terroir with techniques drawn from different French wine regions.


In 2017, Étienne and his wife, Kim, founded Maison Bodet-Hérold, a project dedicated to crafting expressive sparkling wines, predominantly from Chenin Blanc. Working in partnership with organic growers, they produce traditional-method sparkling wines that bring together purity of fruit, freshness and finesse.

Alongside Maison Bodet-Hérold, Étienne established his eponymous label, producing still wines from vineyards taken over from his family's estate. Among them is Clos Durandière, a particularly meaningful parcel gifted to him as a wedding present. Its distinctive Jurassic soils stand apart from the Cretaceous tuffeau commonly associated with the vineyards of Saumur, offering a different expression of the region's terroir.

Étienne farms organically and biodynamically, favouring a low-intervention approach in the cellar to allow each vineyard's character to shine. For his Cabernet Franc, he employs gentle, non-extractive maceration to achieve supple tannins, alongside restrained sulphur additions and extended ageing, allowing the wines to experience natural temperature variations in the cellar. His use of whole-bunch fermentation also reflects the Burgundian influences he has embraced throughout his career.

For Clos Durandière, Étienne takes this connection to his winemaking roots a step further, ageing the wine in seasoned oak barrels previously used for Le Bourg at Clos Rougeard.