Bouvet-Ladubay

Although thoughts of sparkling wine naturally have many of us turning to Champagne, there are surely few who are unaware of the similarly sparkling wines of Saumur. The two regions are of course connected, it being Jean-Baptiste Ackerman (1790 – 1866) who pioneered the production of sparkling wine in the region during the early years of the 19th century, having been inspired to do so after time spent in the Champagne region.

Alongside the adaptability of Chenin Blanc and the cool climate, one of the features that drew Ackerman to Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent, a small commune on the banks of the Thouet downstream of Saumur, was the huge network of caves and cellars hewn from the limestone rock. These cool limestone cellars, created when the rock had been quarried to build the region’s many churches, abbeys, cathedrals and châteaux, were ideal for holding large quantities of sparkling wine as it matured.

Jean-Baptiste Ackerman is relevant to the story of Bouvet-Ladubay not only because it was he who put Saumur on the sparkling wine map, and not simply because it was he who settled on the banks of the Thouet. He is also relevant because the founder of Bouvet-Ladubay, one Étienne-François Bouvet (1828 – 1908), was once an employee of his. Where Ackerman led, Bouvet followed, and as a consequence Ackerman and Bouvet-Ladubay stake their claims as the oldest and second-oldest sparkling wine houses in Saumur.

This profile looks at every aspect of life at Bouvet-Ladubay, not only the ancient cellars that facilitated Étienne’s meteoric rise to sparkling-wine stardom and wealth, but the many proprietors who have followed in Étienne’s footsteps, the modern facilities, as well as the range of wines produced here today. First, though, I look at its history.

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