Château Yvonne : La Folie 2023

Tasting Notes and Tips for La Folie 2023 from Château Yvonne

Tasting

Nose
The bouquet reveals pure, delicate aromas of raspberries, accompanied by hints of sweet pepper and violet. Notes of blackcurrant and red fruits complete this aromatic palette.

Palate
The attack is juicy and straightforward, carried by a very elegant, silky texture. Supple tannins structure a refined, vibrant palate that bursts with red fruit.

Food and wine pairing
La Folie 2023 from Château Yvonne pairs wonderfully with charcuterie, white meats, fish (red mullet), or fresh Loire goat cheese.

Serving and cellaring
This wine can be cellared until around 2033.

A fresh, indulgent red wine from Saumur-Champigny by Château Yvonne

The estate
A benchmark estate in Saumur-Champigny, Château Yvonne was founded in 1997 by Yvonne and Jean-François Lamunière, who breathed new life into the vineyard. Since 2007, winemaker’s son Mathieu Vallée has been running the estate alongside Stéphanie. The estate spans 19 hectares planted with Chenin, Cabernet Franc and Pineau d’Aunis, spread across four villages along the Loire: Parnay, Champigny, Turquant and Montsoreau. Château Yvonne has been certified organic since 2007 and stands out for a minimalist philosophy in the cellar and exemplary consistency in quality.

The vineyard
The La Folie cuvée is a Saumur-Champigny wine from a clay-limestone terroir resting on marine limestone, the famous “Pierre de Champigny” from the Eocene (Ludian), located in the commune of Champigny. The wine comes from 5 hectares spread across seven parcels: Les Mouchards, Les Chalonges, Les Gagneries, Le Vigneau, Clos Linthier, La Maisonnette and La Noue. The 15- to 50-year-old vines have been farmed since 2007 according to organic farming guidelines (ECOCERT-certified), with manual soil work, no chemical weed control and no synthetic products.

The vintage
The 2023 vintage saw a warm, humid spring and summer. Rainfall in early September increased the risk of rot and forced growers to wait to reach optimal ripeness. In early October, an Indian summer set in, allowing the harvest to take place in sunny weather and with surprisingly high-quality grapes.

Winemaking and aging
Hand harvesting with sorting on the table took place from October 3 to 6, 2023. Vinification of La Folie 2023 is carried out in 50-hectoliter concrete tanks with a maceration of around three weeks. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, without added yeasts. One tank was vinified with whole clusters to lend elegance to this very generous vintage. After complete malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged for 12 months in truncated-cone wooden vats.

Grape variety
This red wine from the Loire is 100% Cabernet Franc.