Château Soucherie: Vineyards
Today the vineyards of Château Soucherie amount to approximately 28 hectares all told, of which 22 hectares lie in a single block around the château which enjoys a commanding view over a sweeping vista of the Layon and the Coteaux du Layon vineyards. The remaining 6 hectares are divided between the Savennières appellation, on the far side of the Loire, and Chaume which is a short walk to the west (more detail on these below). Responsibility for the vineyards falls to chef de culture Christian Froger. When Roger-François Begûinot acquired the estate the vineyards were already worked by hand, with grassing over between the rows, with some working of the soil to control weeds, aerate and provide natural fertiliser, so it would seem the vines were being looked after with some care. Nevertheless, the stated aim was to reinvigorate the soils and to allow them to express their terroir. With that in mind the estate has moved significantly towards organics, and under Christian the official conversion period to organic viticulture began in 2019, with certification anticipated for 2022.
There are just shy of 28 hectares here, in several different vineyards and associated appellations, as follows.
The 22 hectares of vineyards that lie around the château give both dry and sweet wines under the Anjou and Coteaux du Layon appellations depending on the time of picking, the extent of the botrytis and other features of the vintage. They lie in a roughly north-south arrangement, running right down to the waters of the Layon at the southern-most point.
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