Saumur 2021

The monks of the Fontevraud Abbey were the first to develop wine-making in the Saumurois region. Throughout the Middle Ages and despite the Hundred Years' War, under the influence of the dukes of Anjou and the famous King René (1434-1480) in particular, wine-making took off. In the 17th century, Richelieu entrusted Abbot Breton, head of Fontevraud, with the task of replanting the region with Cabernet. He brought Cabernet Franc plants back from Guyenne, which he replanted around the Abbey. Since then, this grape variety has been locally known as Breton (the name might also be linked to the fact that the grape variety was transported via Nantes). This golden age continued until the revolution, when the wars in Vendée ravaged the vineyard. The Saumur vineyard stretches across the hillside slopes of the Loire and Thouet. While the white wines of Turquant and Brézé and the reds of Puy-Notre-Dame, Montreuil-Bellay and Tourtenay garnered a good reputation, the appellation is mainly known for its sparkling whites, while the reds are gradually becoming better known. The wine-maker's cellars are well-worth a look, as they are carved into the tuffeau, the local stone. Based on Cabernet Franc, Saumur's red wines are generous with great depth, on a base of red fruits (cherry) and spices in their younger stages. A few extra years do them no harm.