Category: Soil

Only recently integrated into Chinon’s A.O.C area, our vineyard in Lerné is situated on a sloping hillside facing due South. Thanks to their intense solar exposure, these vines produce a powerful, sun-drenched wine.

This vine’s two and a half acres are laid on two different types of soil.

The top of the hillside is composed of a mixture of heavy yellowy-orange clays and rough sand with a surface layer of limestone and flint. At the bottom of the slope, the soil is an alluvial combination of sands and silts, with less clay and fewer stony aggregates.

Located on the hillside north of Chinon’s Royal Fortress, the Champ du Pin (the Pinefield) vineyard was planted in the years 1943-44 and none of the vines have since been replaced. This makes it one of the oldest vineyards still producing AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) Chinon wine.  2019 marks the vineyard’s 75^th anniversary.

Laid on a Turonian chalk subsoil or « tuffeau », the Champ du Pin vines benefit from a superficial layer of limestone and flint that soaks in the heat of the day to restitute it during the night.And whatever the weather, these vines always adapt to the climatic conditions thanks to the depth of their roots.

The vineyard bordering on the Château de Marçay has been cultivated for over 200 years and has hallmarked the history of the village. 

The vineyard was planted North – South for ideal exposure on Marçay’s unique terroir. Beneath some 30 cm of chalk-clay subsoil,  the vines penetrate deeply into the soft, creamy tufa stone to find water and all the nutritive elements they need to prosper.

Marçay’s 6 hectares of vineyard also benefits from an exceptionally favorable climate. Located between the southern plateau of the Haut Poitou and the sloping banks of the Loire and Vienne rivers to the North, Marçay is naturally protected by thesurrounding heights. As Marçay’s only vignerons, Pascal and Mathieu Avril feel a particular attachment to Marçay’s vineyard, and they are always pleased and rather proud to present its beauty and qualities to visitors who express their interest. Their keen observation of the terrain in order to preserve the natural balance and biodiversity and their meticulous care of the vineyard according to its needs are complemented with trials of new cultural techniques such as growing vegetables and using horse-drawn tools in the vines.