Château de Villeneuve

On the plateau overlooking the Loire, Château de Villeneuve offers a breathtaking view of the wild river. This magnificent eighteenth-century residence was built using the region's most noble stone: tuffeau.

In 1969, Robert Chevallier acquired Château de Villeneuve, a vineyard that has been producing wines since the 16th century. Jean-Pierre Chevallier, his son, an oenologist and trailblazer at heart, both in terms of vineyard management and winemaking, has made a major contribution to the estate's reputation.

Today, the 10th generation is in place, with his daughters Cécile and Caroline now at the helm of Château de Villeneuve.

The estate comprises 5 hectares of Chenin Blanc and 20 hectares of Cabernet Franc, two Loire grape varieties that are sublimely represented in the estate's wines.

The vineyard, which overlooks the Loire, is situated on limestone bedrock from which the tufa stone used to build the region's châteaux is extracted. Chenin is used to produce Saumur Blanc and Cabernet Franc is used to produce Saumur Champigny.

No weedkillers, pesticides or chemical fertilisers are used in the vineyards, in accordance with the principles of organic farming. Soil cultivation, limited yields, manual harvesting. Everything is done to give the plant its natural balance and to produce in a way that respects wild flora and fauna.

The 25 hectares surrounding the Chevallier family estate produce complex wines marked by great personality. Château de Villeneuve wines are vinified in cellars dug into the tufa rock, at a constant temperature (12°C). The Saumur Champigny and Saumur Blanc are matured in 400 to 500 litre barrels called tonnes. Since the 15th century, the wines of Château de Villeneuve have been a firm favourite with lovers of Loire wines.