Geological Overview of the Loire Valley Tuffeau and Troglodyte Dwellings
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Geological Overview Tuffeau of the Loire Valley and Troglodyte Dwellings One-hundred million years ago, during the The Loire Valley is renowned for its grand The greatest concentration of troglodytes in the Upper Cretaceous Period, much of the Loire châteaux overlooking France’s longest river. Many Loire Valley is in the region of Saumur. There, Valley was under the ancient seas of the Paris of these châteaux were constructed from tuffeau, whole villages are composed of these unique Basin. It was in this prehistoric era, known as the soft yet strong creamy-white limestone troglodyte dwellings. Their consistently cool the Turonian, that the chalk layers of Anjou (in quarried for centuries in the Loire region. temperature and humidity created a perfect the Middle Loire) were deposited. Tuffeau, as While royalty and nobility lived in opulent environment for wine cellars, used by the the rock is properly called, is chalky limestone splendor (curtailed by the French Revolution) local vignerons, and for mushroom beds for composed chiefly of compressed fragments of the limestone quarries provided homes for the the champignons de Paris. At the end of the Bryozoa — marine organism which lived in mass- general populace. Carved out of cliff faces or nineteenth century, when construction of the like floating colonies. When exposed to air, the tunneled underground, over time the labyrinth Metro in Paris destroyed the mushroom caves deposits are cemented by iron and magnesium of troglodyte caves was converted into dwellings under the city, les champignonistes moved into oxides, adding valuable elements to the soil. by artists, artisans, monks, farmers and soldiers. these abandoned caves. In contrast to the Loire’s When mixed with sand and flinty clays from later During the Norman invasions of the ninth and majestic, often grandiose, chateaux, an economy eras, the tuffeau creates the best vineyards soils. tenth centuries, the troglodyte caves provided the of scale, practicality, authenticity, ecological Cabernet Franc grows happily on the Cretaceous region with a prodigious underground defense consciousness and direct contact with nature chalks of Saumur. system and escape routes. characterize the troglodyte dwellings. Tuffeau, limestone or chalk in The Loire Valley, from Sully-sur- Clau de Nell was named in 2000 by the composition, is not to be confused with Loire, east of Orleans, to the Maine previous owners, Claude and Nelly, but tuff, which is a porous rock formed River in Angers, was classified as a the domaine has been in existence for 100 by the consolidation of volcanic ash. UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. years or more, as the age of the vines attests. Clau de Nell and Serendipity Domaine Clau de Nell is located in the Loire Leflaive’s attention. In 2006, Anne-Claude and of 14°Centigrade (57°Fahrenheit). The wines Valley wine region of Anjou, southeast of Angers her husband, Christian Jacques, had created a are aged for 18 months in oak barrels in the caves and northwest of Saumur, in the village of company to help new biodynamic wine growers which were ready to welcome the new wines. Ambillou-Château. The vines range in age from take advantage of their established commercial 30 to 90 years. The vineyard, situated on a south- network. In order to assist the struggling venture, Grolleau, a varietal native to Touraine, has played facing knoll, consists of eight contiguous hectares in 2008 they purchased the domaine, which had a major part only in Rosé d’Anjou in the past, as (19.77 acres), of which five hectares are planted not produced any wine for three years due to lack it is prone to very high yields. When yields are to Cabernet Franc, two hectares to Grolleau and of means. It was a moment of serendipity for the limited, however, and the vines are very old and one hectare to Cabernet Sauvignon. The soils abandoned vineyards and the Leflaive-Jacques cultivated 100% biodynamically, as at Clau de are sandstone grit and red flint over tuffeau (the family, culminating with the arrival of Sylvain Nell, the results are surprising, with a remarkable soft limestone of the region). The vineyard is Potin, well-versed in biodynamic viticulture, purity of fruit and velvety, tight tannins. on a slope at an altitude of just 90 meters (295 to be their estate manager. Christian Jacques feet), 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the Atlantic concludes that “We have not chosen Clau de Chenin Blanc, indigenous to the Loire Valley, Ocean. From the top of the knoll, surrounded Nell, so much as Clau de Nell has chosen us!” has been planted in 2012 and 2013 on 1.5 by open countryside, the Loire River can be hectares (3.7 acres) of limestone/clay soils that glimpsed in the distance. Yields are less than 30 hectoliters per hectare. are most suited to this noble white varietal of the Harvest is by hand and entirely destemmed prior region. These young vines at Clau de Nell will These vineyards have been biodynamically to cuvaison, which lasts for 20 to 30 days. The come into production in 2015. Clau de Nell will cultivated since 2000. Significant financial wine cellars are centuries-old, historic troglodyte produce a Chenin Blanc “Saumur” in 2013 from difficulties and a call for aid from the previous caves created from the tuffeau (limestone) one hectare of a neighboring vineyard which is proprietors brought the property to Anne-Claude quarries, which maintain a constant temperature farmed biodynamically..