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Chateau de Villeneuve

It was the summer of 1993 and I was wandering around Saumur town centre, with no particular direction in mind. Strolling along I encountered, by chance rather than by design, unless perhaps directed by my subconscious mind, the Maison du Vin de Saumur. It was certainly not an opportunity I could pass up, and I entered the establishment to see what was on offer. My memories of this day are now very sketchy, but I recall tasting one or two wines from names familiar to me, certainly Filliatreau and perhaps one or two others, but I also recall plumping for some unfamiliar names, keen to try out new producers. One wine that particularly impressed was a Saumur-Champigny from an estate called Chateau de Villeneuve, and although I have long forgotten the vintage I can still remember the flavours. Vibrant, lively, fresh, and in possession of a pure raspberry essence, this was one of a number of wines I purchased on the day. They were all drunk many years ago, but like all good wines the memory of the bottles lives on. They were an excellent introduction to the domaine in question, which today is home to the Chevallier family.

Before the current owners arrived on the scene the estate, which dates back to the 16th Century, was home to the de Villeneuve family. It was they that were responsible for the construction of a significant property named Bel Air, using the traditional limestone of the region, intended as a residence for the family's eldest son in the 18th Century. Following his death at the Siege of Yorktown in 1781 under the command of the Marquis de Lafayette, however, it was his younger brother Jean-Marie Berthelot de Villeneuve who acquired the property. By 1867 the land was in the ownership of the de Foucault and de Bossoreil families, who made some significant alterations to the residence. It was then a little over a century later that the Chevalliers, the current incumbents, acquired the estate. Since 1969 they have undertaken a major restoration of the buildings and have also revitalised the vineyards, pushing Chateau de Villeneuve into the top tier of Saumur estates. Much of this success is directly attributable to Jean-Pierre Chevallier who currently runs the property.

The vineyards, some of which surround the chateau, account for 25 hectares of the Saumur and Saumur-Champigny appellations and have been converted by Chevallier to the system of lutte raisonnée. There is grass planted between the vines to encourage them to root deeper and biological systems of pest control. Yields are control with a severe winter pruning, removal of buds in spring and green-harvesting and bunch-thinning in summer. This commitment to quality continues into the ancient cellars, hewn from the limestone, where there is a domaine policy against chaptalisation.

The estate produces five regular cuvées, three reds under the Saumur-Champigny appellation and two white Saumurs, although there may also appear a Coteau de Saumur when the vintage conditions permit, and the appearance of the top red and white cuvées is also dependent on vintage quality. The domaine red is produced from vines between 20 and 30 years of age planted on a clay limestone terroir, and although the handling naturally varies with the vintage typically the fruit would see a four-day cold maceration before fermentation at a temperature controlled to 25ºC. A portion of the wine, about 20%, usually sees an élevage in 40 hectolitre vats. There is then a Vieilles Vignes cuvée, from vines aged 40-50 years, which is harvested at 35-40 hl/ha and then matured in two and three-year-old 500 and 400 litre barrels. Finally for the reds comes Le Grand Clos, without doubt the estate's grand vin. From the vineyard which surrounds the chateau, the fruit is harvested at about 30-35 hl/ha, 100% destemmed and then fermented in 40 hectolitre barrels. It then goes in to oak for perhaps 16 months, with 40-60% of the barrels new, the remainder one-year-old. My limited experience with this cuvée tells me quality is high; it is a wine of substance, and one that could perform very well in the cellar.

The white wines also have an increasingly good reputation here. The domaine Saumur, again from clay limestone soils, is picked by hand and then fermented in wooden vats, and a portion sees some maturation in wood also. Although "entry-level", I have found it to be delicious. Meanwhile there is Les Cormiers, produced from Chenin Blanc from the vineyard of the same name which lies near the Clos des Murs, where Père Cristal developed his system of training vines through walls. The fruit is hand-harvested in several tries then fermented 50% in new oak barriques and 50% in one-year-old barrels. Malolactic fermentation is blocked, and the wine rests in oak for up to eleven months before bottling. Lastly, there is occasionally a Coteau de Saumur, which is only produced in vintages which are sufficiently favourable. The great vintage of 1921 (also famous for its Vouvrays) was one such year, but more recently this means 2003, and with an increasingly warm climate we can expect more vintages I think. The fruit is picked in several tries, as you would expect, pressed using a pneumatic machine and then fermented in oak barriques, of which 70% were new and 30% one-year-old. Again there is some oak maturation, in the case of 2003 up to six months. (27/1/09)

Contact details:
Address: 49400 Souzay-Champigny
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 41 51 14 04
Fax: +33 (0) 2 41 50 58 24
Internet: www.chateau-de-villeneuve.com

Chateau de Villeneuve - Tasting Notes

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Chateau de Villeneuve Saumur Blanc 2008: This sample is brut de cuve - an unfinished, unblended sample - so needs to be viewed in that light. From limestone and clay-limestone terroirs, fermented in a mix of stainless steel and 3, 4 and 5-year-old barrels. Still cloudy. A brilliant nose, so lively and full of fresh of fresh pear and stone fruit, although no doubt these most primary of aromas will change. The palate is elegant and rich in fresh fruit, primary like the nose, pretty and very juicy. If these characteristics can be preserved this could be very good indeed. An update from the 2009 Salon. 15.5-16.5+/20 (February 2009)

Chateau de Villeneuve Saumur-Champigny 2008: This sample is brut de cuve - an unfinished, unblended sample - so needs to be viewed in that light. The nose shows some fresh fruit, with a delightful cranberry and blackcurrant character, and a pure and creamy definition. The palate is soft, creamy, with a light touch of grip. There is a nice core of acid, and a chewy tannic grip. This has a very appealing composition and purity for this level of cuvée. An update from the 2009 Salon. 15.5-16.5+/20 (February 2009)

Chateau de Villeneuve Saumur Blanc 2007: Very, very stony and minerally on the nose - this is one of those wines that leads to the suggestion that terroir can be directly transplanted into the wine. It is pungent and certainly appealing. The palate is beautiful, elegant, but with lovely depth; it is gentle, pure and well defined. There is substance and balance here, in this wine which gives bags of pleasure and which is a superb success for the vintage. I wonder if this wine benefitted from fruit usually destined for Les Cormiers? An update from the 2009 Salon. 17+/20 (February 2009)

Chateau de Villeneuve Saumur-Champigny 2007: This was a difficult vintage, and this is reflected in Chevallier's decision to forego the Vieilles Vignes and Grand Clos cuvées and to blend them all into the generic Saumur-Champigny cuvée. The nose has some pleasant fruit, which is certainly fresh, but not as explosive as some of the other wines. The fruit is pure, dark, and actually fairly dense on the palate, with a good, rounded, mouth-filling texture with some good grip underneath. Slightly hard tannins, and yet a little unfocused and soft too. Still a very good effort for this vintage though. An update from the 2009 Salon. 16/20 (February 2009)

Chateau de Villeneuve Saumur Blanc 2006: A very pale, lemony hue. The nose offers lots of character here, with a nice sequence of aromas; first comes the paper and straw of young Chenin, then followed by some fruit elements, most notably lemon and stone fruits. Behind this is a firm, pungent, sherbetty minerality, which becomes increasingly apparent and more forceful with air. The palate is full, firmly acidic but with good body, and with plenty of grip and substance. Fresh, solid, with those sherbet and stone flavours grabbing the cheeks and pulling them inwards towards the finish. Lively but full of substance. A good wine. 16.5/20 (January 2009)

Chateau de Villeneuve Saumur Blanc les Cormiers 2006: Limestone soils, harvested at 40 hl/ha, fermented in wood, 50% new and 50% 1-year-old. This has a beautiful mineral quality, but also a generous and rounded character. This is really fine. The palate is elegant, reveals very little trace of oak, and has a pure, defined and very minerally character. There is lots of good acidity, a broad and grippy structure, and lots of style. Great minerally finish too. Super wine. An update from the 2009 Salon. 17.5+/20 (February 2009)

Chateau de Villeneuve Saumur-Champigny 2006: This is interesting on the nose, quite well developed, with a rather wild and savage character. Good maturity, really attractive style. The palate is lovely, starting off fruit-rich and pure before little notes of iron-tinged maturity come in. It has a very hard composition beneath though, with lots of grip and tannin. In fact it is very grippy on the palate. This will need food, but it should be very good with it. An update from the 2009 Salon. 16.5/20 (February 2009)

Chateau de Villeneuve Saumur-Champigny Vieilles Vignes 2006: This wine has a less mature hue than the straight Saumur-Champigny in this vintage, and it is not so expressive on the nose. The palate has a lovely texture though, rich and showing good extract and substance, backed up by firm tannins and good acidity. This is an impressive wine, substantial in character, but one that also at the moment needs food to show its best. An update from the 2009 Salon. 16.5+/20 (February 2009)

Chateau de Villeneuve Saumur-Champigny Le Grand Clos 2006: A rather appealing meaty edge to the fruit here, and a dense and stylish character. Delightful, pure and rich, yet well defined on the palate. Lots of grip and tannin, lots of structure, with good firm acids but the fruit and texture to cope. A really good, savoury finish too. This is very good wine, just brimming with potential. An update from the 2009 Salon. 17+/20 (February 2009)

Chateau de Villeneuve Saumur Les Cormiers 2005: This wine has a crystal-clear appearance, tinged with a pale lemon-gold hue. Despite this understated beginning the nose has plenty of exuberant character, showing rich and ripe fruit, with classic elements of dried honey and baked lemons, with a stony-sherbetty minerality, and interesting savoury complexities, such as notes of sea salt. The palate is broad and ripe, full, rich but well poised rather than fat or flabby. Lots of grip and structure underneath it all here, power and potential. Overall, a delicious savoury style which has bags of potential for the future. Chateau de Villeneuve, and Saumur as a whole, is clearly not just an appellation for red wines. 17.5+/20 (January 2009)

Chateau de Villeneuve Saumur-Champigny 2005: This wine, from the immensely talented Jean-Pierre Chevallier, has an intense, dark, red-black hue in the glass. This is followed by a simply beautiful nose, full of black cherry, with that delightful plum skin and cherry-stone character that typifies the best of these wines in their youth. It is slightly high-toned, slightly volatile but is certainly very aromatic, with notes of cinnamon, clove, oranges and charred fruit alongside the plum and cherry. It all promises plenty of appeal and potential. The palate is finely delineated, fresh and stony, ripe and mouth-puckering at the same time with beautifully defined fruit flavours. This is a vibrant and delicious wine, and although perfect for drinking now I am sure this would do well in the cellar for ten years or maybe even more. From a tasting of Saumur wines. 17+/20 (January 2010)

Chateau de Villeneuve Saumur-Champigny Le Grand Clos 2005: This is Chevallier's flagship red cuvée, and in this ripe vintage it comes with 14% alcohol. It has a fine, dark core and a bright, raspberry red hue at the rim. The nose carries youthful delights, the essence of young Loire Cabernet Franc. This is what a good example of this variety from the Loire is all about; sweet, ripe but slightly crunchy black fruits, with a stony definition behind it, lifting the fruit aromas from the glass. There is a little mint and peppercorn at the edge, but nothing that could be interpreted as unripe herbaceousness. The palate has well polished edges, a little plump sweetness to the fruit, although it is tightly wound in, the substance of the wine kept in check very nicely by a fresh acid backbone and more than a touch of grip. The tannins show nicely on the finish, ripe and savoury. This is a world away from that delightful wine I drank back in the early 1990s; this has more structure and depth, and yet it is still very much a wine of the Loire. It needs time, five years at least (and I think this is probably a very conservative estimate). 18+/20 (January 2009)