Saumur sparkling wine tasting at Bouvet Ladubay Saumur
Check out our visit to this top Saumur sparkling wine producer winery in Anjou Saumur, in the Loire Valley wine region, France
The beautiful Loire town of Saumur and the Chateau de Saumur - Source: Winekeller
Anjou-Saumur lies in the popular Middle Loire section of France’s Loire Valley wine region - the section classified as a ‘World Heritage Site’. We spent time in the region around the beautiful town of Saumur, famous for its white sparkling wines and we spent time with top producer Bouvet-Ladubay Saumur - read all about it below!
The Anjou Saumur wine region
The Loire Valley wine region is one of the world's most famous wine regions and the third largest in France. It comprises several different French wine regions which stretch out along the River Loire and over 50 different wine appellations. Travelling east upriver from the Atlantic Ocean, the first Loire wine region is the vineyards around Nantes, the home of ‘Muscadet’.
Then come the vineyards of Anjou-Saumur, where there are about 30 different appellations.
Anjou Saumur is the largest and most diverse sub-region of the Loire Valley wine region and offers multiple different wine styles, including dry or sweet whites, reds, rosés, and sparkling wines. As well as offering lots of choice in terms of wines and wine tastings Anjou Saumur is a beautiful region to visit with lovely rolling, scenery, traditional cellars, and of course a sprinkling of famous Loire Valley castles!
Anjou Saumur map - source: Vins du Val de Loire
The Anjou Saumur wine region is a single Loire Valley wine region, however in terms of geology, Anjou and Saumur are two distinct regions. The subsoil around the Saumur half of the region is based on limestone, sand, and siliceous clay, whilst in the westerly Anjou region the soils are more volcanic and made up of granite, schist and slate. It is this great variety of soils which enables such a range of top-class wines to be produced here. It has also led to the use of the terms ‘Anjou Blanc’ for the limestone soil region and ‘Anjou Noir’ for the darker schist soil region.
Climate is also a factor - the Anjou territory enjoys mild winters, hot summers, and small temperature variations, however in Saumur the climate is less oceanic and the temperatures fluctuate more.
The Anjou Saumur vineyards have a history stretching back some 2000 years. Monasteries each had their own enclosed vineyard plots and the royal court under King Henry II started serving Anjou wines in 1154!
Saumur vineyards - Source: Winekeller
Anjou Saumur wines
Anjou Saumur is home to the Loire Valley wine region’s signature grape variety and wine, Loire Chenin Blanc. Chenin Blanc’s homeland in the Loire Valley is divided between AOC Vouvray and AOC Montlouis just east of the city of Tours, and AOC Saumur and AOC Anjou to the west
Cabernet Franc is also a popular red grape variety here and the area around Saumur is the hub of Loire red wines, based on Cabernet Franc.
Other Anjou Saumur grapes include some Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc as well as reds, Gamay and Grolleau.
Anjou Saumur is specifically also known for sparkling wines produced by the traditional method - see later.
The Saumur region
The terroir in the Saumur part of Anjou Saumur is based on soft ‘tuffeau’ chalk (the same chalk which characterises the Loire chateaux and ‘troglos’ - caves dug into the cliff sides which today serve as excellent wine cellars - see later).
By the banks of the River Loire the white tuffeau is porous limestone, which creates the perfect terroir for the production of excellent dry, sparkling wines.
The Loire Valley wine region is France’s second largest producer of sparkling wine after Champagne.
The town of Saumur, with its beautiful bridge across the Loire and its imposing Chateau de Saumur overlooking the town below, is the centre of the Saumur region’s sparkling wine production. Saumur has been an important wine trading centre since the 12th century.
Saumur wines
The Saumur AC extends 30km around Saumur, with some 2500 hectares of vines - mostly Chenin Blanc, the key grape variety for the production of ‘Saumur Brut’ - see below.
You can also get ‘still’ white, rosé and red Saumur wines, mostly Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc wines.
Before we get into the Saumur sparkling wines in more detail it’s worth mentioning here the superb red Saumur Cabernet Franc wines, produced mainly in the Saumur Champigny AC, south east of Saumur. These red wines range from light and fruity to more powerful and tannic, but they stand out in terms of quality and have helped grow the reputation of the Loire Valley wine region as a reputable red wine producing region, as well as white wines.
Saumur sparkling wines
Saumur Brut is made like Champagne, by the traditional method with the second bottle fermentation. The history of Saumur Brut goes back a long way and over the years many Saumur wineries have been established along the Loire in this region, benefiting from the ideal terroir and climate to grow the grapes, the ideal chalk tuffeau cellars to store the wines and the ideal tradition infrastructure provided by the town and the river.
Saumur Brut provides an excellent (and cheaper) alternative to Champagne, with fine bubbles and lovely, fresh almond/lemon flavours, typical of the Chenin Blanc grape variety. Both white and pink styles are made, with Cabernet Franc being used for the rosé style. Other grape varieties are also used in the blended wines, including Pineau d'Aunis, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Grolleau.
That other well known sparkling wine - Crémant de Loire - is also produced in Saumur. The Crémant de Loire AC extends from Anciens to Blois and grapes can come from the Loire regions of Anjou, Saumur and Touraine.
There are 3 standout Saumur sparkling wine producers and each one is owned by a famous Champagne house: Bouvet-Ladubay (Taittinger), Gratien & Meyer (Alfred Gratien) and Langlois-Château (Bollinger).
Visit to Bouvet Ladubay Saumur
During our tour of the Saumur region, we took time out to visit Bouvet-Ladubay, located in the centre of Saumur.
Bouvet Ladubay is one of the oldest sparkling wine producers in the Loire valley, boasting over 170 years of history.
It was established by Etienne Bouvet and his wife, Celestine Ladubay in 1851, when they purchased 8km of underground tunnels with the intention of turning them into wine cellars. There may have been another motive too - as according to local legend, treasure remained hidden in the cellars from the days when an abbey existed on the site, before it was destroyed in the 12th century - but this has not been confirmed or denied!
Bouvet Ladubay wines
Today Bouvet Ladubay makes their sparkling wines by the traditional Champagne method - producing approximately 7m bottles per year, of which some 60% is exported - the top export countries are Germany, England then the USA.
Bouvet Ladubay do not own vineyards but purchase Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc grape juice from over 90 partner vineyards to make the wine in their Saumur winery, according to the Saumur AC and Crémant de Loire AC. The best cuvées are matured in oak - for 8 years.
Bouvet Ladubay cellars
The incredible network of tuffeau chalk cellars at Bouvet Ladubay was developed over 1000 years and we would encourage you to participate in a Bouvet Ladubay cellar tour as well as a wine tasting as they are most impressive.
The temperature in the cellars is a consistent 12 degrees, with 80% humidity and you can see the evidence of this by the mould growing on the walls of the cellars. These conditions also provide the ideal environment for cultivating mushrooms - see later.
Our cellar tour and wine tasting at Bouvet Ladubay
We enjoyed a 40 minute ‘classic’ tour of the Bouvet Ladubay cellars, which was extremely interesting and informative, followed by an excellent tasting of 4 different sparkling wine cuvées. Note the prices were correct at the time of tasting.
Sapphire Saumur Brut - 90% Chenin blanc, 10% Chardonnay (Saumur AC) - very fresh and creamy, lovely apple taste - €10.70
Trésor Saumur Brut - 80% Chenin blanc, 20% Chardonnay (Saumur AC) - matured in oak - more structure, great paired with creamy sauces, chicken and desserts (especially nut desserts) - €15
Excellency Rosé - 100% Cabernet franc (Crémant de Loire AC) - €10.50
Ruby - demi-sec, red sparkling wine - 100% Cabernet franc (Crémant de Loire AC) - grapes macerated for a week, hence the name - strong ruby red colour and could replace a kir royale as an aperitif - €10.30
Useful information for visiting Saumur
Explore Saumur
Saumur isn’t a big town - there’s lots of parking by the river and you can spend a lovely couple of hours wandering through the little streets and squares. There’s a good selection of shops here and of course places to eat and drink. We enjoyed a lovely lunch at a place called Le Grand Bleu in the Rue du Marché, but there are lots of options here and several nice looking bars and restaurants overlooking the bridge and the river.
Visit the Château de Saumur
Chateau de Saumur is one of the finest chateaux of the Loire Valley and if you are spending some time in the Saumur area, definitely well worth visiting. Home to kings and royalty as well as to prisoners over its long history, extending back to the 900s, visit this Loire Valley castle to discover its fabulous collections and also enjoy the exhibitions that are held across the year here.
Château de Saumur - source: Winekeller
Visit the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud
The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud is one of the largest surviving monastic cities from the Middle Ages and has been registered as an Historic Monument since 1840. Founded in 1101 to house a community of men and women, the Abbey soon became Europe’s biggest community of nuns, accommodating up to 700 people.
Throughout its history it enjoyed the protection and generosity of royal and aristocratic families and in the 12th century it was chosen by Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of France and then Queen of England, as her family necropolis. The bodies of her husband, Henry 11 and her son Richard the Lionheart were both laid to rest here, followed by herself in 1204. Napoleon had the buildings turned into a state prison after the French Revolution.
There is a lot to see and we highly recommend a visit - it’s a unique part of French - and English - history. There is an excellent museum here too and you can enjoy a drink or lunch afterwards in the lovely village next to the Abbey.
Fontevraud Abbey - Source: Winekeller
Visit the many towns and villages in the area
As well as exploring the pretty town of Saumur, there are lots of other lovely towns and villages in the area to visit, oozing with culture, history, art and of course great places to enjoy a meal and a glass of wine!
Explore from the River Loire
Discover this beautiful region from the Loire - take a Saumur river cruise or enjoy some water sports
Experience the famous Saumur Troglodytes
You can experience the famous tuffeau chalk caves - Saumur Troglodytes - in a variety of different ways. These caves form a vast and unique underground network and there’s something for everyone! There’s visiting a wine cellar of course, but you can also stay in a troglodyte, eat in a troglodyte or see how mushrooms are cultivated in them!
The amazing diversity of troglodytic cellars is the reason why the Loire’s Saumur region is the mushroom capital of France. About 70% of France’s total production comes from Saumur, with daily harvests of more than 500 tons. France is the world’s fourth-largest producer of mushrooms, after the US, China and Netherlands.
Explore the nature of the Saumur region
Whether you choose walking, hiking, cycling or horseback riding, there are lots of ways you can explore the beautiful countryside and nature of Saumur. See here for inspiration.
Accommodation
See here for accommodation options in and around Saumur.
See here for lots more ideas and information about visiting Saumur.
Also see our other articles about exploring the Loire Valley wine region here.
See our video below about exploring France’s Loire Valley wine region.
Conclusion and personal highlights
Saumur is a beautiful town and well worth visiting when in the Loire region and if you like sparkling wines, this is a must when in France! We loved our visit to Bouvet Ladubay and can highly recommend.