Château de Chaintres

Château de Chaintres, in the heart of the lovely appellation of Saumur-Champigny, perched high above the Loire River just to the west of Chinon.

The Château de Chaintres itself is stunning: a mid-17th-century mansion that combines bucolic charm and gentle majesty in a manner quite particular to this part of the Loire. In 1675, the Oratorian monks of the Notre Dame des Ardilliers constructed a wall around fifteen hectares adjacent to the château, in the sunniest and most favorable terroir in the immediate area. This clos is situated on a subtle but notable slope and contains a variety of different soils within its confines, including tuffeau chalk, clay-limestone, and sand. The de Tigny family has owned the property since 1938, having revived viticulture in the clos upon acquiring the estate; in fact, a good number of the vines planted back then are still in production.