Château de Chamboureau Anjou ‘Bonne Blanches’ 2020

Château de Chamboureau is the final property encountered as one leaves the village of Epiré heading west towards Savennières. It sits on top of the plateau and is surrounded on three sides by its own vineyards. Wine has certainly been produced here for at least the last 400 years. The oldest part of this rustic looking manor is an octagonal tower which dates back to the 15th century. However, there have been various additions during its life, notably two lodges which were added in the 18th century by lawyer Robert Béguyer, owner of the neighbouring property of Champcourtois.

The domaine was bought in 1949 by Michel Soulez who ran it until 1978 when he passed the day to day running to his brother, Yves. Michel and his wife (an incredible woman by all accounts – she’s in her mid nineties now, but still drives herself around the village) had eleven children and it was one of five boys, Pierre-Yves, who took control from his uncle in 1982. It was during this period that Chamboureau began to expand, buying vines in Le Clos de Varennes and renting land in Le Clos du Papillon and La Roche aux Moines from Baron Brincard. Apart from making wine for Chamboureau itself, there was an agreement between the two parties that Soulez would also produce a generic Savennières and La Roche aux Moines under the Château de la Bizolière label; this arrangement lasted until as recently as 2006. After a period of financial uncertainty in the late 1980s, Pierre-Yves handed over control in 1991 to his brother, Pierre, who had just repatriated himself after a successful career as an agronomist in central Africa. Meanwhile, Pierre-Yves decided to buck the current trend and cross the Loire to buy Château de la Genaiserie in Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné, a property he held until selling up in 2003. Pierre himself was joined by his nephew, Hugues Daubercies in 2004. Daubercies had returned to the Loire following time working in Provence and immediately introduced an organic regime that will see Chamboureau being certified organic from the 2008 vintage.

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Chenin Blanc is a white wine grape variety that is grown around the world, but it is particularly associated with the Loire Valley region in France, and specifically with the Anjou and Touraine regions, it's also widely planted in South Africa.
Wines from the Loire Valley region of France are generally known for their minerality and crisp acidity, whereas in South Africa, they are often made into richer, more full-bodied styles with tropical fruit and honeyed notes.

Chenin Blanc wines can range in style from dry, crisp and mineral driven to rich, sweet and honeyed. The wine can have a wide range of flavors, including notes of green apple, citrus, and minerals, as well as more tropical flavors such as pineapple, peach and apricot. It is also capable of producing sparkling wines and sweet wines, such as Sauternes.

Chenin Blanc is known for its high acidity, which gives it a refreshing and crisp character, making it well-suited for pairing with a wide range of foods, particularly seafood, spicy Asian cuisine, and cheese. It can also be aged for decades and still retain their complexity and balance.

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