Chateau du Hureau Lisaghte

The Château du Hureau is located in the small town of Dampierre sur Loire, about four miles east of Saumur and 15 miles west of Chinon. The Château itself is an impressive sight, with its 18th-century Mansard roof and octagonal tower topped by a boar-headed weathercock, from which the domaine takes its name - a hureau is an old, solitary wild boar. Behind the Château sits the winery carved out of the Limestone cliffs in the 13th century and overlooking the Loire river.　In 1987, Philippe Vatan carried on the tradition of a winegrower family, when he took over Château du Hureau, a wonderful estate located on the southern bench of the Loire River.

The Cuvée Lisagathe100% Cabernet Franc is the top wine of the Chateau du Hureau, it's named after Philippe Vatan's two daughters, Lisa and Agathe.  It comes from two parcels of vines, one 20 years old the other over 50 years.

All the red wines from the château du Hureau are Saumur Champignys, the king red appellation from the Loire.This appellation controlee spread over 9 villages forming a triangle between the Loire, the river Thouet and the Fontevrault forest. Here the microclimate is slightly dryer and warmer than the surrounding area and the rock underneath it is the « tuffeau »- from the cretaceous era, 92 million years ago- a really fantastic subsoil for the vines. Authorised grapes for Saumur Champigny are cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and pineau d' Aunis but cabernet Franc, by far the most planted, is the only one used at the château du Hureau.

This cuvee goes through two sessions of crop-thinning (éclaircissage) during summer and is, so to speak, the Château du Hureau’s “baby”. A grand crû  which reaches full ripeness year after year. When we’re lucky enough to be blessed by a gorgeous end of season, we simply get a brilliant vintage. The composition of the topsoil (a higher percentage of fertile clay than in the Fevettes) is most likely the reason why the silky and mellow tannins are so impressive. They also are the guarantee of a very long aging potential. Recently rated by Bettane & Dessauve 18/20 points.