CHÂTEAU YVONNE
Château Yvonne has been surrounded by vineyards since the middle ages, when the monks at nearby Abbaye de Fontevraud brought vines and winemaking knowledge to the region. Château Yvonne dates back to the 16th Century, however not much is known until 1813 when wine began to be produced on the site.
In 1997 Yvonne and Jean-François Lamunière worked to breathe some life into the abandoned vineyards with the help of Françoise Foucault (of Clos Rougeard). Then, in 2007 Matthieu Vallée took over, keeping the Yvonne name in respect for the work already done on the land.
Considered one of the finest producers in Saumur, Matthieu farms 3 hectares of Chenin Blanc and 8 hectares of Cabernet Franc, spread out over 28 plots in three different villages. The vineyards have been farmed organically since 1997, and biodynamically since 2012. With all the work being done manually the total production is low—but with as little intervention as possible, native yeasts and minimal amounts of SO2, the wines are really worth it. Château Yvonne is on limestone and tuffeau stone, with small parcels of gravel and sandy clay.
