One of Touraine's best red wines along with the Bourgueil, the Chinon vineyard stretches across 19 municipalities located on either side of Vienne and almost reaching the Loire itself, on clay-limestone or clay-siliceous sandy soil. It enjoys a south-facing position that is particularly well-suited to growing vines. Made essentially from Cabernet Franc known locally as "Breton", red Chinon is characterised by its ruby hue and well-defined notes of violet and raspberry. The character of a Chinon red is expressed through the variety of its soil types: light, fruity, very aromatic and instantly pleasurable wines are produced on the long gravelly terraces that unfurl along Vienne. The hillside slopes and clay-siliceous and clay-limestone plateaux result in wines designed to be aged, that can easily be kept for 20 years and more, depending on the years. These are full-bodied, well-structured wines with complex aromas (animalistic and empyreumatic notes).