Clos la Niverdière
Beaumont-en-Véron, downstream of the town of Chinon, is a corner of the Chinon appellation which is too easily overlooked, with only a small handful of noteworthy domaines making their presence felt. Historically, however, this is a very significant vineyard, as this was some of the first land in the appellation to be planted. The fact that Beaumont-en-Véron and its neighbour Savigny-en-Véron are often overlooked should not colour our judgement of these communes though; after all, they are home to one of Chinon’s most widely admired vineyards, Les Picasses.
One property worthy of our attention here is Clos la Niverdière, and while the name is less familiar this is a domaine with a long history, one to perhaps match that of the appellation. The house that looks over the vines was erected during the 18th century, while next to it there stand stables which are even older, dating to the 15th century. And at the very top of the vineyard behind the house there hides – beneath a blanket of overgrown brambles – a small, disused chapel which suggests even more ancient origins. The proprietor of this domaine, Martine Budé, wonders whether the Templars, who certainly had a strong presence around Chinon during the latter years of the Middle Ages, may have been responsible for its construction. It is certainly a possibility.
Sadly, despite having stood here for certainly two centuries and maybe many more than that, the story of Clos la Niverdière through time seems rather vague. I have uncovered none of its ancient stories, and it is only when in the possession of the Vignobles du Paradis that it comes to prominence. Vignobles du Paradis is a domaine established in 1989 by Les Chevaux Blancs, a social organisation in Loudon set up to assist people with disabilities into work, and the vines of Clos la Niverdière was one of three vineyards they tended.
