Château de Villeneuve - Saumur-Champigny 2021

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

A valiant Chenin available which has undergone malolactic treatment to round out the mouthfeel and balance out the saline tension.

About the domain :

Jean-Pierre Chevalier has passed on his passion for wine to his two daughters, Caroline and Cécile. They make the most of the Souzay limestone hillside, where Clos de la Bienboire opens the ball with a delicious red, followed by the velvety, refined cuvée Vieille Vigne. The whites are not to be outdone: the wines evolve perfectly in bottle and the older vintages are benchmarks. With prices still attractive, this is one of the region's most exciting certified organic properties.

Decanter

About the wine:

Dense, sweet red cherry and raspberry notes lead to a seductive, waterlogged palate with some structure. Well-balanced, with a long finish and ripe, refreshing acidity. A real success for a difficult vintage. Once again, Jean-Pierre Chevallier and his daughter Cécile have demonstrated their ability to make great wines even in difficult vintages, thanks to their attention to detail and refusal to compromise. The Cabernet Franc used for this estate wine is 40 to 50 years old and planted on clay-limestone soils. The grapes are harvested by hand. After fermentation, 60% of the grapes are matured in 4,000-liter wooden vats and the remainder in concrete and stainless steel tanks.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the domain :

Villeneuve has historically been a great terroir for dry and sometimes sweet chenin blanc (Coteaux de Saumur appellation), with remarkable ageing potential. Jean-Pierre Chevallier manages the family vineyard, partly located on the spectacular Côte de Souzay, with passion and exacting standards. This oenologist, trained at the Bordeaux school of winemaking, is able to translate the expression of this limestone hillside into homogeneous, colorful, fresh reds. He has progressively refined his ageing techniques, consistently establishing himself as one of the greatest stylists on the Saumur landscape. We are totally convinced by his perfectly calibrated wines, which deliver sensual interpretations of Cabernet Franc without denying their origin.