Chateau de Villeneuve is one of the top producers in the Saumur Champigny appellation. We popped in for a quick tasting and vineyard update last week with clients from New York.
The wines are tasting great at the moment and we had the rare chance to taste the Grand Clos 1993. 1993 was the first year that the estate produced its top wine Grand Clos with the small production in 1992 being a trial. It was tasting absolutely delicious with lots of ripe sweet fruit on the nose and wonderful smoky plum notes on the palate. 1993 is the birth year of one of the Chevaliers’ daughters and the bottle was opened in celebration of her 25th birthday. A real treat for us to taste an old wine from the Loire and proof that you can cellar them for 20 years or more.
This year has proved tricky for the domaine as it has for everyone in the region with problems controlling mildew and lack of rain. Rain was forecast shortly after our visit and due to the very hot temperatures the estate has been spraying the vines for protection at 6 in the morning. Spraying later in the day with hot conditions burns the foliage.
