2020 Château Yvonne Saumur Blanc "Le Gory", Loire Valley, France
ABOUT THIS WINE
As part of a long term vision to develop premier cru vineyards in Saumur, Mathieu Vallée introduced two single-vineyard wines - Le Beaumeray (red) and Le Gory (white). Le Gory comes from a single tiny parcel (.15 hectacres) planted by Françoise Foucault in 1999. Le Gory has a unique blend of deep red clay and tuffeau, and beautifully shows off the best terroir of “La Côte”.
The wine spends 12 months in barrel (30% new), then 3 months in tank before bottling. Hand harvested.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
Located in Parnay, Château 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 château dates to the 16th century, but not much became known of it 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, Mathieu Vallée took over and decided to keep the name Château Yvonne, in homage of the incredible work done by the previous owners. Today, the domaine is one of the best producers in Saumur. The estate is composed of 3 hectares of Chenin Blanc and 8 hectares of Cabernet Franc, all of which have been farmed organically since 1997.
Today, Matthieu Vallée has taken his place as one of the leading producers in Saumur. The vineyards are spread out amongst over 30 different small parcels, with many of the best vineyards located in "La Côte", or the plateau next to the church of Parnay overlooking the Loire River. While much attention has been given to the limestone outcrop of Brézé further south, historically the vineyards of La Côte have been just as highly regarded. In addition to the two cuvées Yvonne Blanc and Yvonne Rouge that were historically produced at the property, Matthieu has added several other wines. La Folie is produced from over 10 parcels on colder limestone terroir of Champigny. Ile Quatre Sous comes from sandy soils and produces a soft red that's easy to drink right away. There are also two elusive single vineyard cuvées - Le Gory (Chenin Blanc) and Le Beaumeray (Cabernet Franc), which come from sites that are poised to become future premier crus of Saumur.