Local terroir
A TERROIR
The Loire river, longest French river, reigns supreme over the Savennières Appellation. Its influence over the climate is undeniable and we owe it the “douceur angevine” (name given to the smoothness that describes both the weather and the atmosphere of the region).
The shale that constitutes Savennières’ ground adds a lot to the wines’ typicity. Perched on a rocky plateau, Savennières overhangs the Loire River by 40 meters. Several clefts form castings, which benefit from a beautiful South Southwest exposure.
A GRAPE VARIETY
The Chenin Blanc is the only grape variety allowed in the Savennières Appellation. The Chenin has been cultivated around the Loire since the IX century. The Chenin Blanc can produce dry whites, sparkling whites or liquorous wines.
This type of vines offers the wines a great keeping potential and it conveys its grapes the soil’s identity it’s planted on.
In Savennières, the soils aren’t very deep; the shale gives minerality and freshness to our wines.
OUR VINEYARD
The Cistercian monks who built the Old Church of Épiré in the XI century also owned vines. We know that since that time, there always have been vines reliant on the castle’s production.
Our biggest strength today is having all of our plots less than a kilometer away from the cellar. Having the vineyard this close allows us to preserve the quality of the grapes during harvests and keep an eye on the sanitary state of the vines.
Located on the highest hillsides of the Appellation, close to the Loire river, the Hu-Boyau and the Champ de la Croix plots enjoy a remarkable South-Southwest exposure on shale soils where phtanite veins outcrop.
HARVESTS
Harvests are the result of nine months spent working in the vineyard. They lay conditions for the final wine.
In Épiré, harvests are a 100% made by hand. We pass two to three times in each row to make sure we pick the best ripeness for each grape cluster. The grapes are sorted on the vine.
Harvest can last up to four weeks between September and October.