Saumur-Champigny

The capital of the Huguenots under Henry IV, Saumur has been an important trading center since the 12th century. The name of the Saumur-Champigny appellation may come from the Latin campus igni or field of fire, due to the particularly warm microclimate of this area in summer. In the Saumur appellation area, the name Champigny can be added to the finest red wines, produced in designated areas in eight communes near Saumur: Souzay-Champigny, Chace, Montsoreau, Parnay, Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg, Saumur, Truquant, and Varrains. The Saumur-Champigny appellation was thus made official by the decree of December 31, 1957.

The Saumur-Champigny vineyard mainly occupies the Cretaceous sedimentary soils (Turonian and Senonian) of the southwestern edge of the Paris Basin. This region, characterized by white soils derived from chalk-tuffeau, represents white Anjou as opposed to black Anjou and its dark soils developed on the old Armorican basement. The vineyards of Saumur-Champigny occupy a remarkable position on the upper Turonian plateau and on the plateaus above the tuffeau. They benefit from the influences of a temperate oceanic climate.

The vineyards of the Saumur-Champigny appellation cover approximately 1,400 hectares, with an annual production of 83,000 hectoliters. The authorized grape varieties are Cabernet Franc (the majority in the area), Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pineau d'Aunis, which is however quite rare. Saumur-Champigny wines are exclusively red, identifiable by their bright garnet red color. The tuffeau brings a characteristic finesse and lightness. Most can be enjoyed young, but their complexity reveals itself after several years of aging (5 to 20 years). The characteristics of Saumur-Champigny wines are best revealed in the products offered by Domaine des Roches Neuves, Clos Rougeard, Domaine Saint-Just, and Château de Villeneuve.