Lovely welcome and wines at 17th century Chateau du Petit Thouars

Day 4

Lovely welcome and wines at 17^th century  Chateau du Petit Thouars

In the vineyard today with Sebastien du Petit Thoaurs

 Built at the same time as Cardinal Richelieu was building his nearby model town, the 17^th century Chateau de Petit Thouars  was our destination today. We were warmly welcomed by Sebastien and Darcy and started with a walk through the vineyard, planted in 1975, and which escaped the early summer hailstones that caused havoc in other parts of the Loire this year.

Cabernet Franc is the grape here for reds, roses and a Cremant de Loire which I’m now sipping as I type. But this year, for the first time, Sebastien will harvest Chenin Blanc and he is really looking forward to the results of that.

Cabernet Franc

 In from the sun then to the cool of the cellars, mainly caves excavated in higgledy piggledy fashion but since adapted to the use of the wine-maker with a temperature almost always at an ideal 12 degrees.

Since its rebirth in 1975, the vineyard has grown to a 15 hectares (30 acres) estate. The winemaker is Michel Pinard, who built his well-deserved reputation working for more than ten years with the famous Chinon winemaker Charles Joguet. 

The Chateau's top wine

 The subsequent tasting left us in no doubt that superb wines, from the 2009 Selection to the Amiral (24 months in oak, including one change of barrel) of the same year, are being made here. No wonder they are winning awards and are being sold both in the France and Belgium and in England and the US, and China is on the horizon as well. How about Ireland?

Sipping this lovely sparkler right now.

Superb example of Cabernet Franc

Earlier we had visited the nearby Château in Montsoreau.  The remains of the 15^th century building, the setting for an Alexandre Dumas novel of murder most foul (Le Dame du Mortsoreau), provides a terrific view over the coming together of the Loire and the Vienne rivers and over the village itself, designated a village fleuri.

Boat on the Loire at Montsoreau

Meeting of the waters: the Vienne (right) is taken over by the Loire.

Château in Montsoreau

Earlier we had visited the nearby Château in Montsoreau.  The remains of the 15^th century building, the setting for an Alexandre Dumas novel of murder most foul (Le Dame du Mortsoreau) provides a terrific view over the coming together of the Loire and the Vienne rivers and over the village itself, designated a village fleuri.

Enjoying the pool in the evening sun.

Today also we sorted out one of the priorities of holidaying in France, this to find a good traiteur. These shops can give you a taste of France at a much cheaper rate than restaurants. We found one here in Chinon (it was closed yesterday). From the Aux Delices du Terroir, on rue Marceau, we bought some rabbit in a Basque sauce which just needs a little reheating in the microwave. Looking forward to that now, with a glass of Sebastian’s Selection 2009!