Fields of Fire
It’s very hot here at Wine Goods HQ.
The sun is beating down, the crickets are rustling noisily and the grass is parched. As am I.
But rather than reach for the rosé, the heat has led me to think of something else, or rather, somewhere else, which also happens to be roasting at a fiery 41 degrees C as I write.
From the Latin ‘campus igni’, which means field of fire to us troglodytes (cave dwellers; also a deliberately ignorant person), Saumur Champigny is a region so-called because of its hot microclimate. The town of Saumur itself - the Pearl of Anjou and once the Huguenot capital - has a history stretching back centuries to an original village of troglodytes, who dwelled in the vast networks of caves beneath. And it was around this time (at the end of the C3) that the Roman Emperor Probus had the good idea to plant some vines, with vine growing then becoming more established a few centuries later.
Saumur and its Château from the river not looking especially fiery.
But back to the field of fire.
Surrounding the town of Saumur on the southern bank of the river Loire, the appellation sits largely on a bed of rock called Tuffeau, a soft limestone also used to build many of the castles that majestically line the valley. It’s easily dug out to make caves for troglodytes, which are these days more handily used as cellars (and even a zoo), and it also lends itself to excellent terroir for the growing of Cabernet Franc, the grape parent with a) Sauvignon Blanc of the much more widespread, more renowned and more drunk Cabernet Sauvignon; and b) Magdeleine Noire des Charentes (who?) of the equally widespread, renowned and drunk Merlot.
But Cab Franc is due rather more acknowledgement and appreciation than it typically gets.
On the lighter side of the red wine spectrum, it typically abounds in red fruit and a characteristic bell pepper note from pyrazines, also commonly found in Sauvignon Blanc. Sometimes its relatively high acidity can make the wine seem thin; but in the best examples the concentration of fruit balances wonderfully with an invigorating acidity giving the wine great poise and precision. It can also be overly leafy when it hasn’t ripened fully - hence why the ‘Field of Fire’ worked so well for it, the warmth helping the grapes ripen fully.
The most famous of all is Clos Rougeard, whose wines are highly sought after the world over and consequently very rare and very expensive. A serious cult collector’s wine.
But most recently the one that really made its mark on me was the Château Yvonne Saumur Champigny 2018. From the heart of the appellation, this is a winery that dates back to the C16, became organic in 1997 and biodynamic in 2012. Now it’s run by Matthieu Vallée, son of a vigneron, who interferes with the wine as little as possible, adopting a gentle approach. It spends around 4 months in oak barrel, giving it a touch of spice and while both silky and finessed it also captures a vibrancy and energy, creating an almost opulent wine. It was staggeringly good.
One to have out in the garden, slightly chilled, as the sun starts to set and the fields of fire begin to cool.
Saumur Château and vines
