Chateau Yvonne, Saumur Champigny 2018

The vineyards have been farmed organically since 1997, and biodynamically since 2012.  All vineyard work is done manually, with native yeast fermentation and as little intervention as possible.  The dominant soil types are limestone and tuffeau stone with some small areas of gravel and sandy clay.

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 Lamuniere decided to recreate the abandoned vineyard with the help of Françoise Foucault. In 2007, Matthieu Vallee 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 cases annually