Saumur Champigny Lieu-dit Les Villaises

A lieu-dit, or "named place", encompasses a group of small plots of vines.
It comprises a unique terroir defined by its territorial, cadastral and historic unity.
The alchemy between the soil, topography, climate, and grape variety results in a PDO wine with a unique profile and outstanding quality. Respect for the terroir combined with the expertise of passionate winegrowers who love what they do produces superb wines.

Presentation

Presentation
"Les Villaises" is a legacy from the past and has a history that is forever attached to it.
"Les Villaises" is located on the site of an ancient Gallo-Roman villa whose lands covered the entire commune of Saint Cyr en Bourg. The commune's roots go back to prehistoric times, and it is known that the implantation of vines dates back to the 3rd century. It is during the reign of the Emperor Probus in 276 that was granted the possibility of cultivating vines in Gaule. After the Romans, the exploitation of the vine continued in these places, in particular from the 13th to the 17th century, period during which the lords of the Brézé's lineage built the Manoir de la Bouchardière and used the wine as currency.
Today, the manor is nothing but a ruin, but the vineyard remains on this exceptional tuffeau soil, the source of the most beautiful buildings and the best wines of the Loire Valley.
Location
"Les Villaises" is part of Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg, in the southern part of Saumur. This commune has a long tradition of winegrowing and is renowned for its wines, with a large winegrower's community.
Les Villaises" is located at an altitude between 40 and 75 m and its plots of land are on a gentle south to south-west hill on the hillsides of Saint Cyr en Bourg. The landscape is relatively open.
In the middle of an area with a temperate oceanic climate, the DPO Saumur Champigny appellation zone has a particularly hot microclimate in summer, hence the name of this appellation which comes from the Latin "campus igni" or "field of fire".
Terroir
The soils developed are mostly shallow, with the soft chalk appearing most often at less than 60 cm and allowing a moderate but relatively constant water supply, favourable to a qualitative viticulture. Indeed, this soil allows excess rainfall to be absorbed in winter and released sparingly in summer. Another quality of this terroir is its strong capacity to store solar heat during the day and release it at night.
In the vineyard
Use of prophylactic methods (disbudding, leaf removal) to encourage the natural aeration of the vines and to regulate the load of grapes; then, a reasoned and thougt cultivation allows the most natural fight against cryptogamic diseases.
Vinification
Total de-stemming of the harvest.
Fermentation in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats at 25°C.
Daily light pumping-over during the first third of the alcoholic fermentation and short maceration to extract the full potential of the grapes.
Malolactic fermentation in our cellars at 25 m deep.
Ageing
Isolated in one of the galleries, the wine continues its maturation in a quiet environment, protected from light and temperature variations for 6 to 10 months before bottling.
Varietal
Cabernet franc : 100%

Advice

Serving
Service temperature: 12-14°C.
Visual appearance
Deep ruby colour.
At nose
Warm nose with aromas of red fruits (strawberry jam), ripe black fruits (crème de cassis) and spices.
On the palate
Ample attack. Fleshy, voluminous, supple, with fine tannins and an elegant finish of fresh red fruits.
Food pairings
This wine will be particularly appreciated with grilled or roasted red meat, roasted poultry or poultry in sauces. It will also go perfectly with the traditional pot-au-feu or a boeuf bourguignon.