From the atlas
Château de Villeneuve
Château de Villeneuve farms Cabernet Franc on Middle Turonian tuffeau chalk, with Chenin Blanc completing the estate's two grape varieties in Souzay-Champigny.
At A Glance
| Field | Detail |
| Region | Loire Valley |
| Appellation | Saumur-Champigny |
| Main grapes | Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc |
| Estate size | 25 hectares, including 20 hectares of Cabernet Franc and 5 hectares of Chenin Blanc |
| Defining feature | Organic farming, tuffeau chalk vineyards, and cellar ageing in tonnes |
The Producer
Château de Villeneuve is a family estate in Souzay-Champigny, within the Saumur-Champigny appellation of the Loire Valley. Cabernet Franc is the principal red grape, while Chenin Blanc supplies the white wine. The estate farms 25 hectares in total, with 20 hectares planted to Cabernet Franc and 5 hectares to Chenin Blanc.
The red and white wines come from the same property but follow different grape traditions. Saumur-Champigny places Cabernet Franc at the centre of the red range, while Saumur-Blanc gives Chenin Blanc its own label and style.
Place
Saumur-Champigny is a Loire appellation built around Cabernet Franc. In the glass, the grape brings red fruit, aromatic detail, spice, and tannin, while the appellation gives the red wine its defined regional address.
Château de Villeneuve is based in Souzay-Champigny. The estate also farms Chenin Blanc for Saumur-Blanc, extending the range from the appellation's emblematic red grape to a separate white wine.
Story
The estate's history reaches back to 1577, when it was known as Bel Air under the de Villeneuve family. Robert Chevallier purchased the property in 1969, beginning the modern-day story of Château de Villeneuve.
The name changed through ownership, but the place remained tied to the vineyards around Souzay-Champigny. The present range still follows the two grape varieties planted on the estate, Cabernet Franc for the red wines and Chenin Blanc for the white.
Vineyards And Cellar
About 85% of the Cabernet Franc vines grow on Middle Turonian tuffeau chalk, also called craie verte. Tuffeau is a soft limestone formed from marine sediments during the Turonian period. Limestone soils can give white wines chalky mineral notes, while Cabernet Franc grown on this ground develops the tannin and savoury detail associated with the red wines.
The estate farms organically, with shoot and bud thinning in spring and careful leaf pulling. No weedkillers, pesticides, or chemical fertilisers are used in the vineyards. Château de Villeneuve's Saumur-Champigny and Saumur-Blanc are matured in 400 to 500 litre barrels called tonnes.
Wines
The range is divided between Saumur-Champigny and Saumur-Blanc. Saumur-Champigny is the entry level red, based on Cabernet Franc. Its parcels are aged in both stainless steel tanks and oak barrels, with stainless steel preserving fruitiness and oak adding texture and complexity.
Saumur-Blanc is the white Chenin Blanc wine. Together, the two labels show the estate through a red appellation wine and a separate white expression, with the grape variety setting the main difference between the bottles.
In The Glass
The 2020 Saumur-Champigny has great aromatics and a fresh, fruity palate with balancing spice. Its texture is suave, with supple tannins that make the wine suitable for current consumption.
The 2020 Saumur-Blanc opens with green apple, pear, mango, and pineapple. Orange and candied lemon appear on the long finish. Vibrant fruit combines with chalky minerality from limestone soils, giving the wine a slightly saline and almost chewy quality.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose the 2020 Saumur-Champigny. It is the entry level red, and the vintage is suited to current consumption. The bottle carries the Saumur-Champigny appellation and the estate's principal red grape in its most direct range position.
Anecdote
In 2024, Jean-Pierre Chevallier retired and passed leadership of Château de Villeneuve to his daughters Caroline and Cécile. Caroline took responsibility for vineyard and cellar operations, while Cécile joined her in leading the estate. The transition placed the family's 25 hectares of vines and the cellar under the direction of the two sisters.
Final Word
Château de Villeneuve joins Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc with organic farming on tuffeau chalk in Souzay-Champigny, producing Saumur-Champigny and Saumur-Blanc from one family estate.
Sources
1. https://www.cabfrancchronicles.com/p/chateau-de-villeneuve-saumur-champignys 2. https://www.saumur-champigny.com/en/appellation/le-tuffeau/ 3. https://www.anjou-loire-valley.co.uk/diffusio/tastings/chateau-de-villeneuve-souzay-champigny_TFODEGUZSCHVILLENEUVE 4. https://apsteinonwine.com/2022/05/03/chateau-de-villeneuve-saumur-champigny-loire-valley-france-cabernet-franc-2020/ 5. https://vinepair.com/good-wine-reviews/chateau-de-villeneuve-saumur-blanc-2020/