Domaine de la Chevalerie: Vineyards
The domaine is situated in the commune of Restigné, higher on the slope above the village of the same name, in the Bourgueil appellation. There are 38 hectares of vineyards all told, planted exclusively to Cabernet Franc. Many of these vineyards surround the domaine, but some are more distant. As with Chinon, the most desirable plots are on the middle and upper slopes, where the Turonian limestone is most exposed. I look first at this middle section.
On the upper part of the mid-slope there is upper and middle Turonian limestone, the upper yellow layers giving way to chalk flecked with mica. On the upper section is Grand Mont, a recently acquired vineyard taken on by the Caslot family in 2009, and on the lower aspect are the lieux-dits Busardières and Bretêche. Here there are Cabernet Franc vines ranging in age from 25 to 60 years, again with a south-west exposure. Busardières is a fairly ancient lieu-dit, the planting here dating back to 1880 and 1922, although I suspect at least some of the vines have been replanted since. The soils here are thin, with perhaps just 30 cm of clay overlying the limestone.
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