Saumur-Champigny

Saumur-Champigny AOC

Saumur-Champigny is an appellation located in the Saumur region, the hottest and driest area of the Loire Valley. This ideal climate allows a magnificent expression of the grape varieties, including Cabernet Franc, the star grape of the AOC. Although Cabernet Sauvignon and Pineau d'Aunis can be blended with Cabernet Franc, the current trend is to produce single-varietal wines. Thanks to the variety of terroirs in the appellation, Saumur-Champigny wines can be very concentrated and powerful, or light and airy. They are very pleasant wines in their youth and go well with everything. However, some vintages have a superb ageing potential. Discover the Saumur-Champigny appellation thanks to Château de Brezé, Château de Parnay, Saget-Lapierre or Domaine des Roches Neuves.

APPELLATION SAUMUR-CHAMPIGNY AOC

SHALL WE TASTE?

RED WINE

Appearance: The robe is luminous, the colour is a pretty ruby with purple highlights depending on the vintage. It takes on garnet hues with the years.

Nose: The nose is complex, dominated by aromas of red and black fruits such as strawberry, redcurrant, raspberry, blackcurrant and blackberry. Violet and iris aromas are added to the bouquet. The bouquet evolves into spicy notes such as nutmeg, tobacco and liquorice.

Palate: The palate is fruity, rich, opulent and balanced. The tannins are soft and velvety, making the wine pleasant in its youth. Vanilla and toasty aromas are present on the palate, with a fresh finish.

Serving Temperature : Serve young wines between 13-15°C, then older wines between 16-18°C.

Ageing potential : Although Saumur-Champigny wines can be drunk young, their complexity is revealed after a few years of cellaring. They can be kept between 5 and 20 years.

FOOD & WINE PAIRINGS

RED WINE Saumur-Champigny is a very pleasant, all-purpose wine that can be drunk with almost anything. It is delicious with any red meat, grilled lamb or pork as well as with dishes in sauce. It is a sensation with chicken with chestnuts, duck with mango or a red tuna fillet. Its spicy notes make it superb with samoussas, while its lightness allows it to accompany any mixed salad. Saumur-Champigny wines also go well with red fruit or chocolate desserts.

OF NOTE

THE TUFA STONE

Bright white and extremely crumbly and porous in texture, tufa stone is part of the DNA of the Saumur vineyards. Not only has its extraction enabled the construction of many houses and châteaux, it has also enabled the construction of several wine cellars! The subsoil of the Saumur region is in fact a real swiss cheese. Made up of hundreds of kilometres of underground galleries, the soil of Saumur is ideal for growing vines. This porous stone, also commonly called "tuff", allows a perfect supply of water to the vine. There is no risk of excess or water stress. The vines planted in this tufa chalk produce wines of magnificent minerality and freshness. This stone brings a lot of typicity to the terroir and gives this "taste of tuff". In addition, the tufa cellars are ideal for storing the bottles. The humidity level is perfect and the temperature of 12°C remains stable all year round.

The tuffeau stone can also be called "Anjou Blanc" and contrasts with the "Anjou Noir", which refers to the darker rocks such as schist, found mainly near Angers. On your next visit to the Saumur region, be sure to visit some of the cave cellars! You will be amazed by this unique landscape.

A MICROCLIMATE IN THE VAL DE LOIRE

Saumur-Champigny is naturally a microclimate in the Loire Valley. While its summers are particularly hot, it is not uncommon to experience frosts in the spring. This represents a considerable challenge for winegrowers who have to adapt to cold temperatures by installing heat and antifreeze towers in the plots. The hot summers would have given their name to the appellation. "Champigny" could in fact come from the Latin "campus igni", meaning "field of fire". This name refers to the high summer temperatures, that make this a microclimate.