Jean-Philippe Agisson knows Sauvignon Blanc. For ten years, he crafted superb wines as the cellar master for Alphonse Mellot at the iconic Domaine de la Moussière in Sancerre, producer of some of the greatest Sancerre of the past 50 years. In 2018 he was then brought in by Louis-Benjamin Dagueneau of famed Domaine Didier Dagueneau to become his cellar master, where he continues to work today.

Jean-Philippe launched his own label in 2017, beginning with La Vigne aux Filles, a parcel owned by his wife Stéphanie’s family. Since then, he has expanded to four hectares across several sites: Les Vignes aux Filles, Les Chasseignes, and Le Purgatoire in and around Sury-en-Vaux; L’Eclat in Saint-Satur; and Les Champs Billards, a cooler site in Pouilly-Fumé.

All parcels except L’Eclat are rooted in the famed terres blanches soils of the Kimmeridgian geological period (c. 150 million years old), characterized by embedded oyster shells and marine fossils. L’Eclat—meaning “radiance”—is planted on silex soils and takes its name from the striking light reflections seen there on sunny days.

Jean-Philippe farms his vines organically, guided by biodynamic principles, and harvests entirely by hand. Fermentation begins in large wooden barrels (6–11 hL, depending on the cuvée), where the wines remain for élevage for approximately one year. They are then racked and blended before resting in tank until the following summer. Bottling is carried out unfined and unfiltered, followed by a further six months of aging - or longer, when deemed beneficial. As Jean-Philippe notes of this extended élevage, atypical in the Loire Valley, “time is a gift to wine.”

This careful deliberation and thoughtfulness is indicative of the way that wine is made at Domaine Agisson. Though this estate is still young, Jean-Phillipe continues to draw remarkable attention, with critics and consumers alike lauding these delicate, harmonious wines.


Farming and vinification practices: Sustainable, Organic