We enjoyed hosting the Vinification Experience Days at Château de la Bonnelière in the charming Loire Valley town of Chinon. It’s the last of three types of day proposed in the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience, the theme being to discover the work of the wine-maker in the cellar to make, age and prepare the wines for bottling.
The days started at the entrance to the winery’s cellar, located in the centre of Chinon, directly beneath the fortress. It’s a breathtaking place, and we enjoyed a coffee and croissant outside in the warm sunshine.
Marc explained his family’s history and that of the winery, and then talked to us about the Chinon wine appellation and the vintage that is currently ageing in the cellar, bringing us all up to speed, ready to start the day! The aim was to understand all that happens after the harvest, and the choices that the wine-maker takes to shape the taste, structure and aroma of the wine.
The cellar is used to age the wines in the barrels until they are ready for bottling and drinking. Marc uses French oak barrels between 400l and 600l, which are larger than standard barrels so that the wine isn’t as marked by the wood.
The wines are made according to the vineyard plot and type of soil. In Chinon, there are three principal soil types: sand, clay limestone, and flint. Each type of soil gives a different style of wine, and so Marc adapts the choices he makes accordingly. The wines from the sandy soil are aged in vats, the majority of the clay limestone wines are aged in oak barrels for 12 months, and the flint wines are aged in oak barrels for between 24 and 30 months.
We had the privilege of tasting some of the wines that are still undergoing the ageing process, which is something that is very rare to do. As the wines weren’t yet finished, they held a few surprises for us!
It had been a full morning, and Louise added a few additional explanations on the history of the cellar and the Chinon Fortress. We then made our way to Château de la Bonnelière, where Claudine, Marc’s wife, and the sun were waiting for us, along with a nice fresh glass of sparkling wine, in the château’s courtyard.
We then sat down to lunch in the barn, and revelled in the different courses and locally produced asparagus, goat’s cheese and strawberries, accompanied by Marc’s delicious wines.
Difficult afterwards to get up from the table, and as much as some of us would have liked to settle down to a nice siesta, we headed out to meet our adopted vines in the Clos de la Bonnelière vineyard. This is the historical plot of the winery and was planted in the 1980’s by Marc’s dad.
The fermentation hall was the next stop to see where the grapes are received at harvest time, and how they are transformed into wine during the fermentation and maceration stages.
Marc explained his secrets for making good wine : Time, care, and love of what you are doing...
The day finished with a visit of the room used to bottle and label the wines, bringing to a close a great time spent exchanging knowledge, ideas, laughs and opinions. We love spending these moments with you, and look forward to seeing you again in Chinon or at another of our partner wineries soon.
