Château de Villeneuve, 2021 Saumur-Champigny

No.12 | What's In My Glass

When learning about wine, benchmarks can be helpful as they provide us with a framework for evaluating other wines within a single appellation or between different regions. Benchmarking doesn't imply conformity. Rather it gives us parameters for what to look for when exploring the expression of a place. While I get giddy when exploring the micro-terroirs of Saumur-Champigny, Chinon, Bourgueil, etc., I am equally thrilled when I come across quintessential examples that I could literally hand someone and say: "Here, try this. For about $25, this gives you an idea of what to expect of a Cabernet Franc from Saumur-Champigny."

The Château de Villeneuve 2021 Saumur-Champigny, the estate's entry-level wine, is such a wine - a benchmark example of Saumur-Champigny. Classically styled, it is the type of wine I would put in a line up with similar quality wines to highlight the differences between the great Cabernet Franc terroirs of the Loire.

Château de Villeneuve is a top producer in the region…