Savennières, one of the most prestigious appellations of the Loire

The Savennières appellation

Produced in the communes of Savennières, Possonières, and Bouchemaine, Savennières is the jewel of the Loire hillsides and one of the greatest French white wines. It is produced over an area of approximately 340 ha, of which 82 ha are actually cultivated, to which new plantings are being added, such as the plot cleared by Eric Morgat on a superb hillside overlooking the Loire, facing due south. Most Savennières are dry white wines, but in former times this Anjou cru was essentially a sweet wine. A few medium-sweet and even rarer sweet wines are produced in exceptional vintages, notably at Clos du Papillon, Roche Aux Moines, and Coulée de Serrant. Savennières wines generally need to be cellared for several years before they open up. A new generation of winemakers (Laureau, Morgat, among others) has been settling in Savennières since the late 1990s: a true revolution in vineyard and cellar practices is beginning to transform the reputation for austerity that Savennières once had, making it possible to enjoy excellent wines from their earliest youth. In good vintages, wines from the Savennières appellation can be kept for several decades, particularly when they come from top-tier terroirs such as Roche aux Moines or Coulée de Serrant. From a geological standpoint, the appellation offers a great diversity of soils:

- schists (covering 191.4 ha, or 57.6% of the AOC — the area that may be claimed), which are the pride of the Layon hillsides
- sandstone (77.7 ha - 23.3%), as found around Epiré.
- Silurian phtanites (3.2 ha - 0.9%), encountered mainly in the northern part.
- moving southward, one finds rhyolites or microgranites (16.3 ha - 4.9%) and spilites (13.5 ha - 4.1%).
- a few beds and various veins of vein quartz (0.6 ha - 0.2%) and aeolian sands from the Quaternary (28.7 ha and 8.6%) complete this mosaic of great complexity.

Superbly elegant in its pale gold robe, Savennières manages to be both lively and delicate, full-bodied yet refined, and fills the palate at length with exquisite aromas evoking quince, linden blossom, and honey.

Discover the many estates within this appellation: the rising star Thibaud Boudignon, Château de Chamboureau, Pierre Bise, Laffourcade...