The vineyard

  A viticultural estate implanted on some of the best plots of the south bank of the Loire

In 1861 Guillory Ainé wrote in the Industrial Society of Angers’ magazine ‘On the left-bank of the Loire the best red wines come from Souzay, Champigny and Dampierre.

The Château du Hureau’s vines are spread over 20 plots covering a total of around 20 hectares in the sub-districts of Dampierre sur Loire, Souzay-Champigny and Saumur. 18.5 hectares are planted with Cabernet Franc and come under the Saumur Champigny AOC.  The Saumur Blanc and Coteaux de Saumur come from four different plots of Chenin planted on 1.5 hectares.

  Le tuffeau, la roche bénie du Val de Loire !

The local ‘Tuffe’, a chalky limestone dating back to the Cretaceous period, used to build the Loire Valley Castles and the local houses, is to be found everywhere in the vineyards. In addition to its aesthetic qualities – no other stone could possibly make the châteaux of Chambord, Chenonceau or Saumur look so beautiful in the sunlight – and its practical properties (the castles are still standing after all these years!), this type of rock has proved ideal for planting vines on – it warms up easily and drains well, helping regulate the supply of water to the vines. The rock acts as a natural filter and stores the water so that even during the summer droughts there is enough moisture to help the grapes ripen. The differences in the composition of the soils and the thickness of the layers, the exposure to the sun and winds, the distance from the Loire, the type of root-stock and of course the age of the vines, all play an important role in the potential of the vineyards.