SAUMUR-CHAMPIGNY CLOS DE LA MATINIERE DOMAINE DU CAILLOU

The tufa cellars of Saumur are home to many treasures. This rock also constitutes the soils of the appellation, which has expanded in recent years and has seen a resurgence of interest since the rise of certain winegrowers. In red only, Saumur-Champigny produces fruity and generally light wines from Cabernet Franc (or Breton) in nine communes. The questioning of the producers of the AOC has led to important changes including a drop in yields and a longer ageing, which now results in more concentrated wines, suitable for ageing.
The appellation extends to the east of Saumur, on the hills around Champigny. More precisely within the communes of Chacé, Dampierre sur Loire, Montsoreau, Parnay, Saint Cyr en Bourg, Saumur, Souzay-Champigny, Turquant and Varrains, at the confluence of the Thouet and the left bank of the Loire. In addition to Cabernet Franc, which is the majority, there is also Cabernet Sauvignon and Pineau d’Aunis. The specificity of Saumur-Champigny is based on the clay-limestone richness of its terroir and the presence of tufa in the subsoil. This limestone rock from the Upper Cretaceous absorbs winter precipitation and parsimoniously releases some of this water during periods of drought. The other quality of this terroir is its strong ability to store solar heat during the day and release it at night.