Château de Villeneuve: Vineyards
The château and vineyards are located in Souzay-Champigny, a little way upriver of the town of Saumur. Sitting just behind the D947 which runs alongside the Loire before turning south towards Fontevraud-l’Abbaye, the resting place of Henry II, Eleanor d’Aquitaine and Richard the Lionheart, the estate is accessed by what feels more like a back entrance, off the rue Jean Brevet. Once through the gate you are immediately surrounded by vines, the château a little distance down the driveway; simply ring the bell which dangles there at the roadside to alert all to your presence!
There are 28 hectares of vineyards in all, including these that lead up to the château and associated buildings. They are all classed as either Saumur (for the whites, 100% Chenin Blanc) or Saumur-Champigny (for the red varieties, 100% Cabernet Franc) appellations, and they to the system of lutte raisonnée many years ago, subsequently moving to organic in the 2009 vintage. When Jean-Pierre took control of the domaine in the early 1980s viticulture followed fairly standard methods, with broad use of fertilisers and chemical treatments. Although the focus of his studies had been vinification he soon realised it was what happened in the vineyard that really interested him, and the shift in vineyard management began.
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