The Terroir Collection: Labels for French wines rooted in the earth
The Terroir Collection : a range of French wines featuring two label collections
The Domaine de Rocheville vineyard spans across 11 parcels :
- 10 parcels located in the commune of Parnay, a small village in the Saumur Champigny AOP
- 1 parcel located in the commune of Brézé, just a few kilometers away.
In total, this represents 17 hectares, including 13 hectares dedicated to Cabernet Franc and 4 hectares to Chenin.
The History Collection
When the estate was created in 2004, the first cuvées were crafted from grapes cultivated on the slopes of Parnay, overlooking the Loire River.
Hence, our historical range of French wines was built around the Loire and its renowned Châteaux.
We bestowed our cuvées with poetic names evoking the Renaissance, a flourishing era in the Loire Valley: La Favorite, La Jouvencelle, La Dame, Le Troubadour, Le Page, Le Prince, Le Roi, Le Fou du Roi…
These names, which read like a great family, emphasize the character of each wine (red, white, or rosé): elegant, fresh, or generous, light, easy to drink, or more structured and full of character.
The Terroir Collection
Over time, we came to realize the significance of our plot-based approach, focusing more on locality. French wines, by nature, reflect their terroir. Each of our vineyard plots carries a distinct geographical, climatic, and geological imprint, shaping the wine’s flavor.
The most striking example is Le Clos de la Thibaudière, a Saumur Blanc from the green chalk terroir of Brézé, which is distinguished by its minerality and iodine taste.
In response to increasing demand from international importers and distributors, we therefore decided to introduce a new line of labels, the Terroir Collection.
In this Terroir collection, each cuvée is portrayed as the precise and authentic product of its distinct terroir.
It comprises 7 cuvées: 3 Saumur Blancs (Loire white wine) crafted from 100% Chenin and 4 Saumur Champignys (Loire red wine) crafted from 100% Cabernet Franc, each revealing the secrets of its main vineyard plot: Les Champs Cerceaux, Les Brétinières, Les Rétis, Côte de Parnay…
Two label collections to suit your needs
Rocheville wines are now available in two label collections:
- A History Collection, paying homage to the Loire castles and their inhabitants.
- A Terroir Collection, celebrating the intricacies and nuances of our vineyard plots.
Whatever the label on your bottle, depending on your needs and your clientele, our French wines elegantly and sincerely celebrate the riches of our region and the history of the Loire for an authentic and memorable tasting experience.
Loire white wine : presentation of our Saumur Blanc AOPs
Les Champs Cerceaux
Varietal :
Terroir and plot :
The Les Champs Cerceaux cuvée is crafted from Chenin grapes cultivated on the slopes of Parnay, near the Loire River. Its production area includes the “Les Champs Cerceaux” plots and the lower section of the “La Grippe” plot.
This terroir is characterized by a soil dating back to the Senonian Cretaceous, composed of sands laying on a tuffeau mother rock.
The vines, aged 15 to 20 years, are perfectly adapted to this specific terroir.
These particular geological and viticultural conditions contribute to giving this cuvée a pleasant lightness, a harmonious combination of minerality and freshness, as well as a very pleasing aromatic expression.
Learn more about the taste of Les Champs Cerceaux (corresponding to La Jouvencelle in the History collection)
Côte de Parnay
Varietal :
Terroir and plot :
Côte de Parnay takes its name from the tuffeau hill overlooking the left bank of the Loire at Parnay, halfway between Saumur and Montsoreau.
The vines root in soils rich in clayey sands laying on a limestone mother rock from the Senonian Cretaceous period. The tuffeau regulates the vine’s water supply, promoting regular and harmonious ripening.
The vines, aged 10 to 15 years, thus benefit from an ideal environment for Chenin. This combination of geological and agronomic factors gives the Côte de Parnay cuvée a complexity and aromatic richness associated with a subtle minerality.
Learn more about the taste of Côte de Parnay (corresponding to La Dame in the History collection)
Le Clos de la Thibaudière
Varietal :
Terroir and plot :
Le Clos de la Thibaudière perfectly represents the renowned terroir of the village of Brézé, south of Saumur.
The vines, over 50 years old and currently being replanted, draw their resources from soils originating from the Middle Turonian period, composed of sandy limey chalk.
With only 800 bottles yearly produced before 2023, this is a rare and complex cuvée, characterized by its distinctive minerality and salinity.
Learn more about the taste of the Le Clos de la Thibaudière (Same name in the History collection)
Loire red wine : presentation of our Saumur Champigny AOPs
Les Pierres Blanches
Varietal :
Terroir and plot :
The Les Pierres Blanches cuvée is crafted from Cabernet Franc grapes grown on the Les Pierres Blanches and Les Rouères plots.
The 27-year-old vines are rooted in sands from the Senonian laying on the tuffeau mother rock.
As the main grape variety for Loire red wine, Cabernet Franc finds in this terroir the perfect conditions to produce a light red wine with fresh notes of red berries, underscored by a subtle chalky sensation.
After harvesting, the wine is aged for 9 months in stainless steel vats, allowing for a pure and precise expression of the fruit, while preserving its freshness and natural balance.
Learn more about the taste of Les Pierres Blanches (corresponding to Le Page in the History collection)
Les Brétinières
Varietal :
Terroir and plot :
The Saumur Champigny Les Brétinières is made from the parcels of Cabernet Franc Les Brétinières and Les Hautes Varennes, located on the hillside of Parnay, near the Wine Route (Route des Vins).
These 42-year-old vines thrive in soils from the Middle Turonian, characterized by sandy limey chalk.
With a yield limited to 40 hl/ha, aiming to increase grape quality, and an aging of 20 months in stainless steel vats, the Les Brétinières cuvée perfectly embodies the tradition of Saumur Champigny.
This results in a wine that strikes a perfect balance between freshness and structure, with velvety and silky tannins.
Learn more about the taste of the Les Brétinières (corresponding to Le Prince in the History collection)
Les Hauts de Bourreau
Varietal :
Terroir and plot :
This cuvée originates from the Les Hauts de Bourreau and Les Rétis plots, located at a low altitude (75 m) on the hillside of Parnay.
Cabernet Franc thrives in the privileged terroir of the Middle Turonian, characterized by sandy limey chalk.
On these carefully selected soils, the old 45-year-old vines produce concentrated and high-quality grapes with a limited yield of 35 hl/ha.
After meticulous vinification, the wine is aged for 24 months in 30 hl oak vats, allowing for a slow and harmonious maturation.
The outcome is an elegant and structured wine, boasting beautiful aromatic complexity and a potential aging span of 15 years.
Learn more about the taste of the Les Hauts de Bourreau (corresponding to Le Roi in the History collection)
Les Rétis
Varietal :
Terroir and plot :
Saumur Champigny Les Rétis originates from the plot of the same name located on the Côte de Parnay. Cabernet Franc vines grow on sandy clay soils from the Senonian, overlaying on the tuffeau mother rock.
These very old vines (almost 60 years old) planted on clayey soils produce concentrated and expressive grapes, giving the Les Rétis cuvée its structure and character.
Les Rétis is produced exclusively in outstanding vintages. Depending on the year, the wine is aged for 24 to 36 months in oak barrels of 2 to 8 wines (220 liters).
All these qualities make the Les Rétis cuvée an unconventional, concentrated, and powerful Saumur Champigny with melted tannins.
Enjoyable now, this wine also boasts exceptional aging potential, capable of aging gracefully for at least 20 years.
Learn more about the taste of Les Rétis (corresponding to Le Fou du Roi in the History collection)