Le Roi
Saumur Champigny
Awards
- Bettane et Desseauve guide 2023 : 92/100
- Bronze Medal at Decanter World Wine Awards 2022 (87/100)
- 16/20 in Le Point magazine dated 2021/09/10
- Silver medal at Decanter World Wine Awards 2021
- Bronze medal at Decanter World Wine Awards 2020
- Silver medal at international contest Mundus Vini 2019
- 1 star in Hachette Wine guide 2018
Description
A Saumur Champigny Vieilles Vignes that lives up to its name!
Elegant, structured and harmonious, The King reigns over the great tables with strength and generosity, in bottle or magnum.
AOP
Saumur Champigny
Grape variety
Location
Terroir
The clay-limestone terroir of the Upper Turonian (green tufa chalk) gives this Saumur Champigny substance and power.
Vine management and harvesting
Since the creation of the estate in 2004, the Rocheville vines have been managed without treatment and according to the principles of sustainable viticulture.
In 2011, with no probationary period, the estate obtained Terra Vitis certification, validating the eco-responsible approach “from the vine to the bottle” carried out up to that point.
From 2016, Domaine de Rocheville converted to Organic Farming and our wines have had the AB label since 2019.
In addition to the various tasks in the vineyard aimed at favouring the concentration of the grapes (short pruning, disbudding, leaf removal….), many actions are undertaken to make nature the winegrower’s ally.
Thus, the 17 hectares of vines are grassed over, and the biodiversity protected by replanting hedges and shrubs, planting 200 rose bushes at the end of the rows, installing Blue tit nesting boxes…
The grapes are hand-picked at optimum ripeness. With 30 hl/ha, the yield is low, so the grapes are more concentrated in flavours, a guarantee of a great vintage.
Vinification and maturing
As soon as it arrives at the winery, the Cabernet Franc is de-stemmed and then the grapes are carefully sorted on a vibrating table so as to keep only the best of the harvest.
They are then placed in vats for natural pressing by gravity. This is followed by a maceration of three to four weeks with punching of the cap to extract all the matter and strength from the grapes.
Fermentation takes place slowly and at low temperature. Then the wine is poured into French oak barrels from the Forêt de Tronçais (30 hl barrels) for a long ageing period, from 24 to 36 months, which brings to our Le Roi wine its strength but also the velvety smoothness of it’s tannin.
Storage
Le Roi is a wine that can be kept for a long time, it will express itself best after 3 years and will be able to be keep for 15 years in a good cellar.
Cabernet Franc – Cabernet Franc – Saumur Champigny – Saumur Champigny – Saumur Champigny – Le Roi – Cabernet Franc – Cabernet Franc – Saumur Champigny
Sensory discovery
Appearance
Le Roi flatters the eye with its garnet colour with light copper highlights.
Bouquet
It has a very expressive bouquet of ripe red and black berries (morello cherry), characteristic of Cabernet Franc, slightly spicy, with hints of caramel, vanilla and liquorice.
Palate
On the palate, Le Roi offers a harmonious and structured texture. The fresh, fruity attack develops, long and complex, with a particularly velvety tannin. It is a refined Saumur Champigny, carried by a controlled acidity which gives it a beautiful balance and a long ageing potential.
Wine and food pairing advice from the winegrower
The King accompanies you throughout the meal, especially with red meat, game in sauce, dishes in sauce and cheeses.
With a starter, it will go well with a forest terrine or a pan-fried mushroom dish, for example. With a main course, it will enhance a duck breast with green pepper, a beef carbonade, a beautiful entrecote, a shoulder of lamb…
For a successful wine and cheese pairing, match it with soft cheeses: Camembert, Brie… or pressed cheeses, a farmhouse Saint Nectaire for example.
Serve between 14 and 16 °C.
Opening it 2 hours before consumption or decanting it in a carafe will allow it to release its aromas and show its majesty.
You can also discover, in the Cabernet Franc family...
Le Prince
Le Fou du Roi
Le Page
Le Troubadour
