LOIRE VALLEY WINES
LOIRE VALLEY WINES
LOIRE VALLEY WINES
LOIRE VALLEY WINES
The Domaine
In 1993, Jean-Martin Dutour, a young agronomist and oenologist, settled in Chinon to take over the management of Domaine du Roncée. At that time, the vineyard covered 22 hectares in the village of Panzoult around the old Château de Roncée. Since then, agricultural practices have evolved significantly, guided by agronomical considerations to ensure wine quality and protect biodiversity.
The domaine has been certified HVE (High Environmental Value) since 2016.
Today the vineyard is managed according to regenerative viticulture principles. The soil between vine rows is sown with plant cover from various seeds including fava beans, Chinese radish, oats, buckwheat, sunflowers, rapeseed, field peas or phacelia. The varied root systems of these plants create a vertical restructuring of the soil, which becomes naturally richer in organic matter and minerals. The goal: a living, autonomous soil able to feed the vines.
With a continued commitment to environmental preservation and shaping the future of the vineyard, massal selection work has been launched on the oldest vines of the domaine to preserve the genetic diversity of plant material.
The History
Various traces of human settlements from the Palaeolithic period were found in Panzoult. During the Gallo-Roman era, a real town was already established there. Around the winery of Domaine du Roncée, archaeologists have found several objects which testify to this past life (fibulas, pottery, etc.).
A few centuries later, the feudal model was developed. Life was organized around the Château de Roncée protected by its moat. Only the vestiges of the Castle destroyed during the French Revolution remain, yet we find evidence of it around the village: the dovecote, the communal wine press… From this medieval period, the domaine has kept at its entrance the Roncée spring, sheltered in a small building. The Lord of Roncée’s coat of arms, depicted on the label of the “Clos des Marronniers” cuvee, appears as it does on a bronze plaque dating back to 1779.
CHINON PDO
CHINON is a communal Protected Designation of Origin that ranks among the most important in France alongside CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE or SAINT EMILION. Compromising 2400 hectares, it is the leading appellation for Loire Valley red wines.
Its history dates back to the beginnings of the Gallo-Roman era. It is sometimes emblazoned with half of Saint Martin’s cloak, sometimes with the royal crown of Charles VII. Rabelais, a native of Chinon, paid tribute to it in his work “Gargantua”, one of the keys masterpieces of French literature.
Wine of the Kings
Vines thrived from a very early date in the Loire Valley and the Chinon region. In the appellation area, in Crouzilles, there were pottery workshops producing, in the 1st century AD, significant quantities of wine amphorae. During the 6th century, Grégoire de Tours in « History of the Franks » confirmed that Chinon was a major strategic stronghold built by the Romans. In the 11th century, a story of the life and miracles of Saint-Mexme related the journey of a winemaker from Chinon transporting his barrels by the river to Nantes.
Situated at the crossroads of three provinces – Anjou, Poitou and Touraine – on a waterway that quickly joins the Loire, the kings soon occupied the city. Henry II, Count of Anjou and King of England, Philippe Auguste, then Charles VII, both kings of France, lived in the Chinon fortress and imposed wines of Chinon and local products on the court.
Loire Wine
Located in the heart of the Loire Valley, the vineyard of Chinon is truly unique. The city and its vineyard are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized as an exceptional cultural landscape. Legitimate recognition that encourages discovery. The vineyard of Chinon can be explored by criss-crossing the countryside, climbing the hillsides and wandering through the plains or along the banks of the river Vienne.
The Winery
Built in 2006, the winery blends into the vineyard’s landscape. It is designed to operate with gravity tanks in order to respect the integrity of the grapes. The pumps were replaced by an overhead crane which transports the harvest in small bins into each of the vats. Maceration then becomes a delicate “infusion” where only the best migrates from the skin to the juice to produce fine and silky wines. In 2012, a 1,200 m² photovoltaic roof was installed on the winery to generate energy equivalent to the requirements for air-conditioning the entire facility. A simple, coherent tool that enables us to work with ease and focus on crafting high-quality wines to reveal the subtle richness of the CHINON terroirs.
Our Wines
The Clos des Marronniers is produced from a single, 7-hectare plot, near the dovecote of Panzoult. The vines, now fifty years old, produce fruit harvested as late as possible to ensure peak ripeness. After being sorted and gravity-fed into vats, the grapes undergo cold maceration for 5 to 6 days before fermentation begins. The fermentation process lasts approximately fifteen days, after which the wine is transferred and aged—half in 2 to 15 year-old barrels, half in vats. The two halves of the cuvée are blended at the end of this aging process and then it completes its maturation in the bottle.
A classic-modern Chinon with a limpid garnet colour, the nose reveals a bouquet of red berries, redcurrants and morello cherries, softened by vanilla notes. It has a round mouthfeel, combining juicy cherry and raspberry, a touch of liquorice, supple tannins and a lingering cocoa finish. With its blend of rich fruitiness and structure, this cuvée pairs beautifully with red meats and game, stuffed poultry, and duck breast. A « bistronomic » wine, it enjoys a place on family tables, combining power and smoothness in perfect harmony.
team
Jean-Martin DUTOUR
Aurélien SCHLIENGER
Philibert VALENTE DO VALE
Contact us
Where to find our wines?
- In our online store baudry-dutour.fr (deliveries only in France)
- At the Château de la Grille shop in Chinon
Route de Huismes 37500 CHINON