Savennières
The Savennières terroir is proud to belong to the part of the Loire Valley listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as a cultural landscape since 2001. Hillsides and coulees, castles and gardens, plateaus and mills, three landscapes meet.
The appellation is located 15 km south-west of Angers, on the right bank of the Loire on the communes of Bouchemaine, Savennières and la Possonnière.
- Color: White
- Styles : Sweet / Liquorous White Wines, Dry white wines: Lively and aromatic
- Grape variety : Chenin
Expert advice
Olivier Poussier, Lenôtre sommelier, best sommelier in the world in 2000
Olivier Poussier, knows the Savennières landscape well. "Savennières wines have power, firmness, uprightness, they bring out a wide range of sensations. They are complete wines, the schist giving them a gustatory relief where subtle mineral bitters come to the fore. They're clean and well-crafted: the fatness comes from the alcohol, the minerality from the terroir, and the liveliness from the northern latitude. Above all, Savennières are wines for pleasure, that you can never get enough of".
Wine pairing
- White
Input
Grilled Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce. The floral notes and minerality of Savennières perfectly complement the delicate flavors of the asparagus and the richness of the Hollandaise sauce.
Dish
Priority to white meats (veal, pork) and fish. In affinity with the assertive nuances of tuber, we can choose accompaniments of cardoons, salsify, Brussels sprouts. An interesting pairing: artichokes, whose iron content is offset by the wine's mineral taste. A refined example: sweetbreads with artichoke.
Cheese
Comté Affiné : The aromatic complexity and dense texture of Comté are matched by the minerality and depth of Savennières.
Dessert
Tarte Tatin: The caramelized richness of the apples and the texture of the pastry marry with the complex aromas and liveliness of Savennières.
Tasting
- White
Appearance
The wines are white and mostly dry. However, they can sometimes contain fermentable sugars. They are pale yellow to golden yellow in color.
Nose
The nose is generally characterized by floral scents or aromatic notes (acacia, lime blossom...) mingled with fruity notes that may recall pear, peach, quince, toasted almond, raisin, honey, all enhanced by a touch of minerality.
Palate
The attack on the palate is ample, bold, revealing all the aromatic complexity. The finish is a blend of freshness, minerality and a hint of bitterness that bring harmony and balance.
Conservation
These wines come into their own after several years in bottle. Wines with fermentable sugars have a remarkable aptitude for ageing.
Location
Slopes and coulees, castles and gardens, plateaus and mills, three landscapes come together. A rare concentration of castles dating from the 16th to the 19th century, built by the notables of the time, evokes the attraction that the beauty of the landscape and the fame of the vineyards may have exerted. In the distance, even higher up, the silhouettes of windmills stand out against the sky, testifying to the natural ventilation of these hillsides, which is highly conducive to vine-growing. The coulées, small valleys perpendicular to the river, are home to some of the finest vineyards in the area. It is made up of schist slopes formed at the eastern end of the Armorican massif in the part of Anjou known as Anjou noir, as opposed to the other part known as Anjou blanc located in the limestone Parisian Basin.
All about Savennières
For connoisseurs eager for discovery, explore our more detailed page on this appellation. Discover captivating details about terroirs, soils, climate and much more. Let yourself be immersed in the rich and diverse world of Loire wines.