The Sauvignon, which is particularly sensitive to the quality of the terroir, achieves its more complex aromas in the vineyards of Centre-Loire. The origin of this grape variety is much debated (Centre or South West of France).

It presents characteristic bunches with coned-shaped, very tight berries, a thick skin, a firm and crisp flesh. It has characteristic aromas marked by the soil and the climate.

The character of wines is expressed more rapidly when they are grown on chalky soils. Marls and flinty-clay strata produce wines that need more time to develop and that are long-term cellaring wines (from 2 to 5 years or even 10 years).

The range of aromas developed in the Sauvignon wines is particularly rich and complex: the great taste of "flint" but also fruity notes (black currant, passion fruits, lychee, orange, grapefruit, guava), floral notes (iris, elder, rose, acacia, linden), vegetal notes (box, broom, rhubarb, asparagus) and others such as musk or roasted meat.

The Sauvignon represents 70% of the surface areas and 75% of the production of Centre-Loire vineyards.





Known in the region of Burgundy since the XIVth century, this grape variety is certainly more ancient. The bunch of the Pinot Noir is small and compact (pine-shaped) with little tight berries (ovoid-shaped) and with a thin and smooth blue-black-coloured skin.

The juice of the Pinot Noir is colourless. The maceration of the skin (that contains the coloured-pigments) with the juice during the alcoholic fermentation gives the Pinot Noir its nice cherry-red colour with a slightly purple tinge.

Because of its relative "fragility" it requires very specific production conditions including a climate neither too warm nor too cold and well drained soils (particularly chalky ones) in order to achieve its best expression.

For young wines, the bouquet is marked by Morello cherry, violet, wood notes and with aging it is marked by aromas of game, truffle and cherries in brandy.

Grown in Centre-Loire for a very long time, the Pinot Noir now represents 20% of the area planted with vines. It is the grape variety of Sancerre, Menetou-Salon and Reuilly wines. It also enters in the blending with the Gamay of Châteaumeillant and the Coteaux du Giennois.