Chateau Yvonne, Saumur Blanc 2022

100% Chenin Blanc

Loire Valley, France

Biodynamic and certified organic. From 3 hectares of vines ranging from 5 years to over 80 years in age. Clay/limestone soils over tuffeau stone. Hand-harvested in small bins. Native yeast fermentation with no additions in barrel at cool temperatures for 4 months. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally during aging in oak (less than 20% new barrels for 12 months). Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur. VEGAN

The Yvonne estate itself is a special one, for those who don’t know it well: a history dating from the 16th century, when the château was built by the monks at the Abbaye de Fontevraud; winemaking beginning there in the early 1800s. In 1997, Yvonne and Jean-François Lamunière decided to recreate the abandoned vineyard with the help of Françoise Foucault. In 2007, Matthieu Vallée took over and decided to keep the name Chateau Yvonne in hommage to the incredible work done by the previous owners. Today the domaine is one of the best producers in Saumur, composed of 3 hectares of Chenin Blanc and 8 hectares of Cabernet Franc, spread out over 28 small plots in three villages.  The vineyards have been farmed organically (Ecocert certified) since 1997 and biodynamically since 2012.  Yvonne’s production remains extremely low, averaging only 2000 cs annually. The dominant soils here are limestone and tuffeau stone but outcroppings of gravel and sandy clay give completely different expressions of Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc.