A FOCUS ON... CHÂTEAU SOUCHERIE

01/04/2021
If you’re interested in the wines of the Loire or Anjou, there are worse places to start than with Château Soucherie .

To be found in the Loire Vallery, the Domaine de la Soucherie is both a historic AOC winery and also in recent years, a wonderful place to stay should you wish to partake in some wine tourism once the world opens up a little more - which is fitting, given that it started life as what we would now call a holiday home for the Princess of Arenberg towards the end of the 19th century. A place in which one could enjoy good company and great wine? Some things never change.

It was in 1952 when winemaking began in earnest at the Domaine, when a family bought the estate and started gaining recognition for the wines of Château Soucherie. It has been in the hands of the current owners and winemakers - another family, the Beguinots - since 2007, and under their watchful eye there have been a number of important developments for the Château.

First of all, on buying the property, the family focused on regaining the glory of the château at the heart of the site. They used local craftsmen to completely restore both the château and of course the all-important wine cellars. Over the next few years outbuildings were kitted out to receive wine lovers on their weary travels, and there are now four guest bedrooms in the Maison des Amis, and another five in the Maison des Vignes… which also has a swimming pool!

More recently, the entire vineyard has been converted to organic farming, with the first certified organic harvest due to come in next year (2022) and not content to focus just on winemaking and holidays, the Domaine has now installed an apiary to produce small batches of honey.

But what about the wines, you say?

The majority of Château Soucherie’s wine production (as with most of the Middle Loire) is Chenin Blanc, and the Beguinot family choose to produce this as a single varietal in a number of different wines, including their Anjou Blancs, Savennières, Coteaux du Layon and 1er Cru Chaume.

The Premier Cru Chaume wine is particularly worth a look - it is produced from 70 year old vines on the south-facing shist hillside, the grapes from which undergo a slow natural fermentation followed by a maturation in oak barrel of 12hl and demi-muids for 9 months. This creates a sweet wine, balanced by a fresh finish and is typical of the terroir of the Loire.

Should you prefer a more savoury option, their Savennières may be the one for you. Grown in a small 1.8ha enclosure in a single vineyard that goes by the name ‘Clos des Perrieres’ the sloping plot and soils comprising of sand, volcanic rock, schist and granite result in a full-bodied wine with concentrated fruit and a fine minerality.

They also make Anjou Rouges (using predominantly Cabernet Franc) as well as rosés from Gamay and the local grape, Grolleau.

All of the Château’s wines are harvested manually. Their whites are aged in oak barrels which are chosen carefully to work alongside the terroir on which the specific grapes were grown. They utilise selective picking for their sweet wines, which are sweetened by 100% botrytis (Noble Rot fungus) rather than any addition of sugar. And of course, as mentioned above, the vineyard has now moved to completely organic viticulture. This care, attention to detail and local know-how results in beautiful, authentic wines that are well-worth seeking out.

To encourage Brompton Wine customers to do just that, we are applying a 5% discount on the range for the month of April. Given that so many of these wines are just perfect for Spring - and for pairing with all of the wonderful produce we are about to start receiving as we leave the cold months behind us - we do hope that you’ll join us in appreciating these magnificent wines.

Should you need any more information on any of the Château Soucherie wines, please check out our website ... If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch via email (richard@bromptonwine.co.uk) or on our social media @bromptonwine.

Champ aux Loups, Anjou Villages
This wine has an intense, rich, ruby colour. She's nice and fruity on the nose - thanks to the beautiful maturity of the Cabernet Franc combined with the freshness that can be associated with this variety when grown on shist soils. The wine is clear, and there is a subtle appearance of graphite. A well-balanced mouth features a tight tannic structure - but no harshness. Good length at the finish. (This is a wine with the potential to lay down for up to ten years for anyone building a cellar)

Ivoire, Anjou Blanc
This Ivoire is all stone fruits and rhubarb. You can taste the generous richness of a sunny vintage with a beautiful salinity and layered finish.

Patrimonie, Coteaux de Layon
The brilliant, beautiful, golden yellow colour hits you first. The nose is precise, with delicious notes of candied quince and juicy pears at the heart; and the palate is nice and richly smooth with a well-controlled sweetness. A very digestible Layon style, there's no excess sugar or imbalance to be found here. The finish reveals flavours of rhubarb and cooked apple.


Premier Cru Chaume, Coteaux de Layon
This premier cru Chaume (as mentioned above) has a beautiful straw yellow colour, and a nice range of aromas - predominant hints of quince and baked apple. The mouth is generous and smooth but balanced, and there's a great sharp freshness to play against the sweetness which results in a magnificently harmonious wine with finish is seductive and generous.

Savennières Clos des Perrieres, Château Soucherie
This really is about the finest expression of Chenin Blanc – powerful, rich and layered with an extraordinary freshness and depth. The strong citrus flavours of lemon and lime is enhanced with a flinty, mineral body and high levels of acidity. The judicious use of oak softens and develops the wine. Magnificent.
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