In the heart of the Loire valley, Chinon – a small vineyard, as prestigious as many of the great names in wine – dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries, long before it was so beautifully celebrated by the great François Rabelais, whose portrait adorns the labels of the domain.
Located near Tours between the Loire and Vienne rivers, the Chinon appellation area, controlled by decree since July 31st, 1937, covers approximately 1,900 hectares (or 4,700 acres) and nineteen towns. Red wine from Cabernet Franc grapes makes up the vast majority of Chinon wine, but small quantities of white wine are also produced – less than 1% of total production – from Chenin grapes (also known as “Pineau de la Loire”).
The vineyards are planted on two major types of soil :
- gravelly terraces, which offer
light and fruity wines called “Easter wines” or “spring
wines”, and
- argilo-calcareous and argilo-siliceous hillsides, which produce wines suitable for ageing, sometimes for long periods.
Depending on their terroir of origin, some wines can be enjoyed extremely young or, on the contrary, must be left to age many years before all their flavours are revealed.
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