Domaine de Rocheville, 2023 Update
On the plateau just above the village of Parnay, a large part of which sits nestled along the Rue Valbrun, in a small scratch in the limestone bedrock, sits a rather smart looking winery. Eleven or twelve years ago it never existed, it being a relatively recent addition to the Saumur (or more precisely, Saumur-Champigny) landscape.
The cellars are those of Domaine de Rocheville, a domaine created by Philippe Porché when he bought the land from an old viticulteur who was keen to retire. Philippe seems to have hit the ground running, because he quickly establishing a reputation as a source of good, reliable and sometimes downright delicious wines. On the back of this success he built the aforementioned cellars and shifted the domaine from conventional to certified organic viticulture, leapfrogging ahead of a number of other domaines in the region, many much longer-established. The three-year period of certification began in 2016, the certificate awarded in 2019.
Along the way Philippe has also taken on other roles of note, including the presidency of the Syndicat des Vins de Saumur from 2013 through to 2019, followed by the presidency of the Saumur Blanc appellation, starting in April 2023. He holds a position in the Fédération Viticole Anjou Saumur and is also heavily involved in the #FandeChenin project, forging links between growers of Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley and South Africa.
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