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Saumur -Champigny
18,5 hectares of land for 21 plots in Dampierre Sur Loire, Souzay, Champigny
and Saumur on some of the best soils known to the area, is home to the
Cabernet Franc red grape variety. What links the 21 plots is definitely
the "tuffeau" (tufa/limestone), a kind of soft chalk from
the Cretaceous (146 to 65 million years ago; in latin "creta"
means chalk). The underlying tuffeau is the over-riding factor in the
Saumur-Champigny distinctive quality, however, with varying layers of
topsoil (it's either fertile clay or a sandy type of soil) and diverse
sun exposure, every single vineyard has its own " personality",
allowing us to propose four cuvées :
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Château du Hureau "Tuffe",
A group of vineyards in 15 separate plots of young and old vines (some
are 70 years old) produce la Cuvée Tuffe. The suppression of
the secondary buds in the spring (ébourgeonnage), the summertime
crop-thinning (éclaircissage), the selection during the picking,
the long fermentations (25 to 30 days) and the élevage (élevage)
lasting from 10 to 20 months in the tuffeau cellars, all contribute
to the elaboration of a red wine which is rich, smooth and supple on
your palate. It can age for 2 to 7 years.
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Fours à Chaux, we created this
new cuvee in 2006. One of the very best terroirs in Dampierre sur Loire
and in the Saumur-Champigny appellation area.It has a sandy clay soil
on the" tuffeau", with south-east exposition.On this easy-warming
soil, our 3 parcels of vine , 45, 40, 17 years old , a wine of great
elegance, with complex aromas, nice and light structure. Harvested by
hand and aged without barrels, in order to keep its pure fruit...
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Les Fevettes, Just two plots to produce
la Cuvée des Fevettes, but two plots of exceptionnal potential
: due to the composition of the topsoil (fertile clay and sand) they
never fail, year after year, to deliver a striking red wine powerfully
built, yet very fruity and showing velvety tannins. After a lenghty
élevage (élevage), La Cuvée des Fevettes is generally
ready to be drunk fairly soon but will also age nicely over a long period
of time.
Coup de Coeur (Editor's Choise Award) Guide Hachette
in 1996, 1999 and 2000
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Lisagathe, goes through two sessions
of crop-thinning (éclaircissage) during summer and is, so to
speak, the Château du Hureau's "baby". A grand crû
(crû) which reaches full ripeness year after year. When we're
lucky enough to be blessed by a gorgeous end of season, we simply get
a brilliant vintage.
The composition of the topsoil (a higher percentage of fertile clay
than in the Fevettes) is most likely the reason why the silky and mellow
tannins are so impressive. They also are the guarantee of a very long
ageing potential...
Coup de Coeur (Editor's Choise Award) Guide Hachette
in 1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001 and 2003
Five stars in "DECANTER' 2005
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Saumur Blanc
Coteaux de Saumur
Intentionally, with short pruning and green-harvesting (éclaircissage),
our 1,5 hectares of Chenin (the premier white grape variety in the area),
only produce a limited quantity of grapes (30h/ha), but definitely of
a superior quality. The hand-picking is done in several stages (tri),
up to three times in a single year. Depending on the percentage of golden
and of naturally raisined grapes (passerillage), the presence or not of
noble rot, we will either vinify dry white wines (Saumur Blanc) or sweet
white wines (Coteaux de Saumur).
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