Château Yvonne ‘Le Beaumeray’ Saumur Champigny Rouge 2018

Location: France, Loire, Saumur Champigny

Winemaker: Matthieu Vallée

Grapes: Cabernet Franc

Soil: Clay/limestone over tuffeau

Winemaking: Hand-harvested in small bins; fermented with natives yeasts in 38hL foudres for 1 month. Malolactic occurs naturally during the wine’s aging in oak (20% new barrel, for 12 months.

From the Importer Paris Wine Company: As part of a long term vision to develop premier cru vineyards in Saumur, Matthieu Vallée introduced two single-vineyard wines - Le Beaumeray (red) and Le Gory (white). Planted from selection massale from Le Bourg of Clos Rougeard, ‘Le Beaumeray’ vines may be young, but there are planted on some of the finest terroir in La Côte, and already produce stunning Cabernet Franc with a rare sense of grace.

Located in Parnay, Château Yvonne has been surrounded by vineyards since the Middle Ages, when the monks at the Abbaye de Fontevraud brought their influence to the region. The château dates to the 16th century, but not much became known of it until 1813, when a local winemaker moved in and began producing wine on site. In 1997, Yvonne and Jean-François Lamunière decided to recreate the abandoned vineyard with the help of Françoise Foucault. In 2007, Mathieu Vallée took over and decided to keep the name Château Yvonne, in homage of the incredible work done by the previous owners. Today, the domaine is one of the best producers in Saumur. The estate is composed of 3 hectares of Chenin Blanc and 8 hectares of Cabernet Franc, all of which have been farmed organically since 1997.

Today, Matthieu Vallée has taken his place as one of the leading producers in Saumur. The vineyards are spread out amongst over 30 different small parcels, with many of the best vineyards located in "La Côte", or the plateau next to the church of Parnay overlooking the Loire River. While much attention has been given to the limestone outcrop of Brézé further south, historically the vineyards of La Côte have been just as highly regarded. In addition to the two cuvées Yvonne Blanc and Yvonne Rouge that were historically produced at the property, Matthieu has added several other wines. La Folie is produced from over 10 parcels on colder limestone terroir of Champigny. Ile Quatre Sous comes from sandy soils and produces a soft red that's easy to drink right away. There are also two elusive single vineyard cuvées - Le Gory (Chenin Blanc) and Le Beaumeray (Cabernet Franc), which come from sites that are poised to become future premier crus of Saumur.