Château de Villeneuve, 2019 Update
Château de Villeneuve is one of the leading domaines in Saumur-Champigny, with Le Grand Clos frequently one of the most substantial, polished, structured and ageworthy cuvées in this appellation. And equally, in white, the cuvée Les Cormiers is smart, structured and equally capable of evolving in a very positive fashion in the cellar. Despite these successes in both red and white the domaine is frequently overlooked by those who are, perhaps only naturally, drawn like moths to the lights that shine in the cellars of Clos Rougeard and Domaine des Roches Neuves.
The proprietor Jean-Pierre Chevalier (pictured) is one of the leading vignerons in this appellation, the quality of his wines comfortably ahead of many of his peers. On this occasion I was hoping to see what he had achieved in the 2018 vintage, but I have already published those tasting notes – on entry-level cuvées – in my first Loire 2018 report. This left me tasting the more upmarket cuvées from prior vintages, both 2017 and 2016, including the two cuvées just mentioned above.
The Wines
I tasted just one vintage of the white Les Cormiers, the 2017, a finely polished effort which should perform well in the cellar. By coincidence I am still working my way through the 2007 vintage from my own cellar, and I see no reason why the 2017 vintage should not be drinking just as well, or better, ten years from now.
