Saumur Champigny Lieu-Dit Les Poyeux

A legacy of the past, the Lieu-dit "Les Poyeux" has a history that is forever attached to it.
Mentioned as early as 1802, among the first growths of the Saumur region, the hamlet "Les Poyeux" is considered as a reference terroir: "the gold mine".
In the 17th century, the Poyeux vines were divided between a few large properties surrounded by high walls made of tufa stone that had been extracted from the subsoil by labourers. As time went by, most of the owners, having financial difficulties, transferred the vines to their labourers in the form of small lots. This cadastral distribution shaped the landscape. Made up of small plots of 30 to 40 ares, like gold ingots, this exceptional terroir could still be called "the gold mine" today due to the richness of its tufa soil, its sunny slopes and the benefits of its microclimate.

The hamlet "Les Poyeux" belongs to the commune of Chacé, a small village located on the plateau of the Grand Saumur region. This Lieu-dit is one of the most renowned areas in the region for the production of AOP Saumur Champigny, whose wines are characterised by a unique smoothness and concentration.

The hamlet "Les Poyeux" is mainly developed on tuffeau stone (sandy-glaucous chalk from the Middle Turonian). The soils are mostly shallow. The soft chalk is most often found at a depth of less than 60 cm and provides a moderate but relatively constant supply of water, which is conducive to quality 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. All the vines of the hamlet are characterised by a higher than normal early ripening potential.
The majority of the plots are located at the top of the hamlet and are therefore oriented on an average south to south-west slope, with protection from the north winds thanks to the wooded cover at the top of the hillock. The rest of the plots are located on the gently sloping hillside.
In the middle of an area with a temperate oceanic climate, the AOP Saumur Champigny appellation area has a particularly hot microclimate in summer, hence the name of this appellation which comes from the Latin campus igni or field of fire.
Total surface area of the parcels: 12 ha

Use of prophylactic methods (disbudding, leaf removal) in order to favour the natural aeration of the stocks and to regulate the load; then, of reasoned cultivation in order to allow the most natural fight against cryptogamic diseases.

The harvest begins after checking the ripeness and health of the grapes at the beginning of October.
- Total destemming of the harvest.
- Fermentation in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats, between 26 and 28°C.
- Light daily pumping over during the first third of the alcoholic fermentation, as well as a fairly long maceration to extract the full potential of the grapes.
- Malolactic fermentation in our cellars at a depth of 25 m.

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.