Description

Since taking over Chateau Yvonne in 2007, Matthieu Vallée has brought the estate into the circle of elite producers in Saumur. The three reds show off different sides of Cabernet Franc from fresh and light-hearted to the seriously age-worthy. Yvonne Blanc is one of the finest expressions of Chenin Blanc, a clear demonstration of the incredible terroir of Saumur.

-Joshua Adler, Paris Wine Company

100% Chenin Blanc.  Biodynamically farmed and certified organic.    Clay/limestone soils over tuffeau stone.  Hand-harvested in small bins.  Native yeast fermentation in barrel at cool temperatures for 4 months.  Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally during aging in oak (30% new barrels for 12 months).  Bottled unfined and un filtered.

This bottling comes from their 3 hectares of Chenin (ranging from 5 to 80-year-old vines). A burgundy lovers Chenin with perfectly integrated oak influence and complex notes of pear, apple, elderflower, honey, smoke, and tons of minerality.

Located in Parnay, Chateau Yvonne has been surrounded by vineyards since the middle ages, when the monks at the Abbaye de Fontevraud brought their influence to the region. The Chateau dates to the 16th century, but not much is known until 1813, when a local winemaker moved in and began producing wine on site. 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. All vineyard work here is done manually, and Matthieu makes the wines with as little manipulation as possible: native yeast fermentation, no additions other than SO2, slow malolactic fermentation, minimal racking, and bottling unfined and unfiltered. 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.