Domaine Sauveroy, 2023 Anjou Villages “Victoire”
The first vines were planted at what is now Domaine Sauveroy in St-Lambert-du-Lattay in the heart of the Layon River valley back in 1866. The modern story of the estate, which begins in 1947, is unique in Western Anjou and it is one that is rooted in a passion for Cabernet Franc.
In a region best known for its noble sweet wines made from Chenin Blanc, Francis Cailleau believed that it was possible to make exceptional Cabernet Franc and begin making Anjou Rouge from his domaine's Cabernet Franc vines in the 1950s. His commitment to and passion for the variety was further reinforced when he took on the role of president of the syndicate of Anjou Rouge producers from 1978 to 1981. This love of Cabernet Franc red wines has been passed down to the second and third generations, Francis's son Pascal, and now his grandson Quentin, who joined the domaine in 2018.
Domaine Sauveroy today has 26 hectares of vines, 11 of which are planted with Cabernet Franc, and from this they are making not one Cabernet Franc, which is typical of many domaines in this part of Anjou, but four expressions of Cabernet Franc, each seeking to highlight the complex terroirs and soils that make up the domaine's parcels. It is also worth noting that they are farming certified organic, with a strong focus on soil health and leaving parcels fallow for 3 to 7 years before replanting, and they also began to employ the use of agro-forestry practices in 2022 to plant 1000 trees throughout the domaine ot enhance the biodiversity of their vineyards.
So before I get into where exactly we are in Anjou, it is worth noting that this wine is an Anjou-Villages. So how does this differ from an Anjou Rouge. Firstly, the Anjou AOP covers red, white and sparkling, and it spans over a large area, about 88 communes. And for an Anjou Rouge, the principle grapes are Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, but it could include up to 20% Grolleau and up to 10% Pineau d'Aunis in the blend, and the yield is capped at 60hl/ha. For Anjou-Villages, this is exclusively a red wine appellation using only Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon, with maximum yields set at 55hl/ha, and the production area is limited to 26 communes, the majority of which a dotted along the Layon River, following the Coteaux du Layon territory.
So today's wine takes us to the commune of St-Lambert-du-Lattay, which represents the heart and soul of the Coteaux du Layon production area, with a viticultural history dating back to the Middle Ages when the nuns of the Ronceray Abbey of Angers established one of their priories in the village.
St-Lambert-du-Lattay is located in western Anjou, about 20km south of Angers, and 12km northwest of Thouarcé, on the left bank of the Layon River. This is Anjou Noir territory, that is to say that this is where the "old rocks" of the Massif Armoricain take over from the limestone-based soils of the Paris Basin. Anjou Noir is the collective term given to these old rocks, which are a complex mix of schists, slates and sandstones.
Just as with the limestone soils of the Paris Basin, these Anjou Noir soils are varied in origin and composition, but generally we tend to find the Brioverian schists on the left bank of the Layon, and the St-Georges series of schists and carboniferous sandstones on the right bank of the Layon. What's most important as far as Cabernet Franc is concerned is that these are all dark, dense, brittle rocks, with poor water retention capacity, particularly compared to the limestone soils that dominate to the east, so site selection becomes critical to ensure that Cabernet Franc does not suffer from hydric stress, which can block its maturity. So that generally means finding sites with deeper soils and ideally more clayey soils to help improve the moisture retention capacity of the soils.
So, drilling down to today's wine, this is coming from 1.85 hectares of younger vines from across three lieu-dits La Masse Casse, Carrefour Rouge and La Pièce Longue. These lieu-dits are principally around the domaine in the southern part of St-Lambert-du-Lattay, and all have a gentle southern exposure. In terms of soil, we have slightly deeper soils in the these parcels, with a silty-clay topsoil with an abundance of gravels and quartz, followed by a subsoil of clay, and this sits atop the Brioverian schist bedrock, which here is a mix of green, black, orche, purple micaceous, talc-rich sandstone-schists. Quentin explained that these parcels are chosen for the cuvée Victoire because of their precocity, giving balanced maturity, while the clayey soils give a bit more flesh and volume to the finished wine.
For the winemaking for this wine, the fruit is hand-harvested and destemmed. Fermentation is in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts, with the fermentation temperature being 25-28C. During the fermentation, the maceration will be primarily infusion, with 2 to 3 pumpovers total, with a total time on skins of 18 days. The free run wine and press wine are separate, and then they will add back in a small percentage of press wine before aging. The aging is in amphorae, 160L and 750L, to allow for a bit of micro-oxygenation the clay provides to soften and polyimerize the tannins, while preserving the purity of the fruit. The aging is for 12 months.
Key wine wine facts below:
Producer: Domaine Sauveroy
Appellation: Anjou Villages
Commune: St-Lambert-du-Lattay
Lieux-Dits: La Masse Casse, Carrefour Rouge, La Pièce Longue
Soils: Silty-clay topsoil with an abundance of gravels and quartz, clayey subsoil (over 1m of topsoil and subsoil), over a Brioverian schist bedrock
Alcohol: 13.5%
