Domaine de Nerleux: Vineyards
As I have already indicated in my introduction, this being Saumur-Champigny the terroir is largely limestone; the domaine is located in Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg, which sits on an uplifted crest of this limestone laid down in the Turonian stage, between 89 and 93 million years ago, in the late Cretaceous. This type of limestone, defined by the presence of certain ammonite fossils, is so typical of the Loire Valley that it was named Turonian after the city of Tours by the celebrated French palaeontologist Alcide d’Orbigny. The overlying soils are largely light and afford good drainage to the upper parts of the root system, while the limestone acts as a sink, providing a deep reserve of water.
From here the Neau family manage 47 hectares of vines, a domaine which comprises 38 hectares of Cabernet Franc, 8 hectares of Chenin Blanc and 1 hectare of Chardonnay. The average age of the vines is 30 years, although the most ancient pieds are more than 80 years old. The vines are planted in numerous plots, some of which are reflected in site-specific cuvées. The Clos des Châtains, a lieu-dit situated on the south-western slopes of the hill near Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg, where there are 7 hectares of vines planted between 1933 and 1950, is one such plot. The lieu-dit Tire-Savatte, planted in 1997, is another. These different lieux-dits are of variable slope and aspect, with the best sites facing south-west.
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