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Val de Loire · Touraine · Red, white and rosé

Valençay — terroir, soils & grape varieties

A unique case in France, Valençay is the name of both a wine and an AOC goat cheese. In southern Touraine, on its clay-with-flint soils, the appellation blends sauvignon in white with gamay and côt in red, for fresh, generous wines.

The Wine and the Cheese

Around the Château de Valençay, once home to Talleyrand, the appellation spans twelve communes in the Indre and Loir-et-Cher. Its distinguishing feature: it is the only place name to carry both a wine (AOC since 2004) and a goat cheese (AOC since 1998), an emblematic terroir pairing.

Terroir and Style

The soils, mainly clay with flint complemented by sandy-gravelly ground, under a somewhat degraded oceanic climate, give fresh, easy-drinking blended wines. The sauvignon whites play on citrus, white flowers and a touch of exotic fruit; the reds, supple and spicy, are best drunk within two to four years; the rosés stake everything on freshness.

The grape varieties of Valençay

Sauvignon →white — dominant (≥ 70%), citrus and white flowers
Gamay & côt (malbec) →fruity, spicy reds
Buy a Valençay →
Sources: Wikipédia — Valençay (AOC)