Domaine de Rocheville is a Saumur-Champigny producer – one of the premier cote vineyards erched on the high cliffs overlooking the Loire. As such you might expect them to concentrate on reds – something they do very well – but in fact they have been replanting some of the Cabernet Franc vineyard over to Chenin Blanc, which they do very well indeed. Rocheville is a collaboration between Philippe Porché and Jérôme Callet.

They have a new winery, something always worth highlighting because it so often leads to a ramping up of quality. One thing you lose when you move into new premises is your large population of native yeasts in every corner – an essential element of terroir. But you gain so much more. the opportunity to change your fermentation vessels for example. You might want to change the material they are made from, or you might want to have lots more of them but smaller, so you can do more precise plot by plot ferments. Just the luxury of more space can eneable a vigneron to perform necessary tasks in a more timely and efficient way.

The terroir here is largely limestone and the average age of the vines is over 30 years. Farming here is not organic. The whites are particularly impressive, though the reds also show considerable energy and good balance. This is now an established domaine and provides super and geed value wines. (CW 10/09/18)