Château Yvonne - Saumur Champigny Rouge 2020

The Yvonne estate itself is a special one, for those who don’t know it well: a history dating from the 16^th century, when the château was built by the monks at the Abbaye de Fontevraud; winemaking beginning there in the early 1800’s, and then a renaissance at the property a century later, with rehabilitation taking place in the 1990s. Since then, the 30 small parcels of vines totaling 13ha have been farmed organically, with many of the best vineyards located in ‘La Côte,’ or the plateau next to the church of Parnay overlooking the Loire. (Much attention has been given to the limestone outcrop of Brézé further south; historically the vineyards of La Côte were just as highly regarded.)

From 2 hectares of vines ranging from 5 to 80 years in age. Clay/limestone soils over tuffeau stone. Hand-harvested in small bins. The cold temperature in their caves delays fermentation and gives a natural pre-fermentation maceration. Native yeast fermentation in 38 hl foudres for 4 weeks. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally during aging in oak (20% new barrels for 12 months). Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Type: Red
Producer: Château Yvonne
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Country: France
Region: Loire, Anjou-Samur
Farming: Organic and Biodynamic