Domaine des Baumard: The Quarts de Chaume Vineyards
As noted in my history of this domaine, Jean Baumard first acquired vines in the Quarts de Chaume vineyard in 1957, just a couple of years after he took over the running of the family business. This was a significant acquisition in many ways, not least because it set the domaine on the road to considerable fame, as the domaine and the reputation of the vineyard became inextricably intertwined. The appellation regulations had only been signed off in 1954, a relative latecomer to the appellation system bearing in mind the significance of the site, and so Jean was in early. He acquired 5 hectares, a large proportion of what was classified. Indeed today, this has grown to more than 6 hectares, this accounts for approximately 20% of the appellation, which is about 40 hectares in size.
Here I take a look at the appellation in more detail, with particular reference to the Baumard vines. First though, a quick look at the Coteaux du Layon vines.
Florent Baumard also possesses a substantial holding in the extensive Coteaux du Layon appellation. His vines are largely gathered around the Clos de Sainte Catherine, which lies at the top of Rochefort sur Loire, and also around Bourg Chevreau, a lieu-dit long associated with the Baumards, as this was where Florent’s 17th-century ancestors lived. The terroir is schistose, as we would expect, the vines aged between 15 and 65 years and mostly trained using the vignes hautes et larges method described above, although some of the very oldest plots have a more traditional appearance. The vines here naturally contribute to the Clos de Sainte Catherine cuvée. Other cuvées in the portfolio, of which there is more detail on the following pages, largely originate from purchased fruit.
