Loire Valley Wines
Château de Baugé Wines
Wines from the Loire Valley in France one of the premier wine producing regions of France.
I have been making wines here for almost a decade, from my French vineyard of 10 hectares. My French wines differ somewhat from those of my neighbours., by using a lot of skin contact for both red and white wines, and fermenting and ageing the wine in oak barrels from Château Margeaux in Bordeaux. Not only does the technique for making wine differ, but the terroir has had the benefit of over 50 years of ash being spread on the vineyard – originating from the kilns owned by the third builder of the Château – resulting in an interesting and unique soil and wines.
How and where to obtain my French wines I sell my French wines only to the best restaurants, to friends and visitors to my Château at present, so you will not find my wines on any supermarket shelf or wine merchants. Possessing my wines is therefore a unique and rewarding experience, as any connoisseur of wine will tell you.
French wine tasting weeks You can enjoy the pleasures of the Loire valley and tasting my unique Loire Valley wines during on of my wine tasting weeks at Château de Baugé. Why not come and stay, spend a week tasting my wines and comparing them to the wines of my neighbours and drive home with a car load of some of the best wines that the Loire Valley has to produce.
No wine snobbery here, although I am very proud of the wines I produce. However, I will advise you how to taste and appreciate wines, so that your enjoyment of the art of successful wine tasting will heighten your pleasures.
Wine tasting accommodation I have two cottages (1) (2) to rent in the grounds of the Château near Doué la Fontaine where you can help yourself to my fine selection of wines and we just count the bottles up at the end of the week. Just make sure you leave enough to go home with.
Château de Baugé Wines are grown on a rise, with a fine view of the hilltop Abbey of Puy Notre Dame, 15km from the town of Saumur, by the river Loire.
I trust you will have as much enjoyment out of drinking my wines as I have had in their creation. Santé!
Melinda Lowis.
Château de Baugé
Wines being offered at present are:
- Wine A1. Brut Tache Bubbly: A slightly coloured wine, as 30% Cabernet Franc is added to the Chenin. This is a fruity wine without being sickly, a perfect aperitif or companion with fruity puddings.
- Wine A8. Mel’s Red Bubbly: A local speciality wine, quite dry and excellent with chicken or turkey. A perfect wine with Christmas dinner.
- Wine A12. Chenin Blanc 1998: A dry white wine, slightly oaky, with a tropical nose and a firm structure. The perfect wine with fruits de mer, rich dishes such as salmon with hollandaise sauce and poultry. The acid levels of this wine are kept high, ensuring vivacity with the richest dishes. A Special Reserve of the two best barriques is offered with Italian bottle and hand written parchment labels. If you are considering a gift of wines, these wines are ideal.
- Wine A23. Cabernet Franc 1999: This is a light drinking wine for now. A good wine chilled with buffet dishes and patés. A refreshing wine for those long hot French summers and the odd hot day you get in the UK.
- Wine A18. Cabernet Franc 1995: The 1995 wine is a much bigger wine, with much more tannin and wood. It has the characteristic Anjou nose, slightly musty and needs to breath before drinking. Not wines to be rushed, no matter how much you are tempted. The sort of French country wine, common in France but rarely seen elsewhere.
- Wine A7. Clos de Baugé Demi sec 1996: A late harvest Chenin wine, very versatile. The acid level in this wine and the Clos de Baugé Doux, is almost twice as high as a normal wine of this type, ensuring a wonderful rich fruit flavour, with depth and intensity without being overwhelmed by the sweet viscosity often encountered in other wines. Good chilled as an aperitif, delicious with patés, smoked salmon and cheeses of all kinds, especially runny French cheeses. This wine is offered in 50 cl bottles, in either blue or antique colours. (The bottles not the wines).
- Wine A6. Clos de Baugé Doux 1996: This wine is harvested over 6 weeks by scissors, to get every grape with noble rot. This wine is very round, flavourful and a veritable elixir. This wine is excellent with all foods mentioned with the Demi Sec, but more so. Also excellent with puddings, though steer clear of chocolate or egg puddings.