Our final day in the beautiful Loire Valley took us to another two areas – Bonnezeaux and Coteaux du Layon.
The first stop was at another historic property – Château de Fesles. An important château over the centuries, it has undergone a number of transformations and owners, and the most recent owners, an Alsace family, have upgraded the premises and are seeking to restore its former glories.
Chloe Milcendeau hosted our visit and took us into the vineyards to see the Bonnezeaux AOC vines – capable of producing unctuous dessert wines from Chenin Blanc – before heading into the cellar and tasting room.
Our tasting took us through a wonderful selection of dry Chenin, rosés, medium sweet Coteaux du Layons and a range of vintages of Bonnezeaux. Fabulous wines and testament to the amazing Chenin Blanc grape.
One unexpected bonus of our visit was to see a mobile bottling plant in full swing. These are popular in Europe as it allows the most up to date bottling expertise to be employed without tying up money in capital.
A 30 minute drive took us to Auberge Bienvenue – a Michelin recommended restaurant and we were warmly greeted by Madame Roche, the owner. A delicious three course meal ensued with a wonderful ballotine of prawn and asparagus, followed by some perfectly cooked turbot. No dessert for us as a large dinner was looming.
From the Auberge, we had a 40 minute opportunity to regroup and head over to Chinon. An important Cabernet Franc red wine AOC, the esteemed Château du Couly Dutheil was our destination. We were hosted by their very entertaining Sales Director Philippe. He took us into the limestone cellars – perfect for the optimal storage of wine, gave us a brilliant insight into the estate and the philosophy change to riper, more alcoholic styles and then hosted a fabulous tasting that showcased their range. This really did show Cabernet Franc at a very high quality.
The day was not over though, and we had just enough time to change and then head out for dinner at the Château du Gratien – another Michelin recommended establishment. The sun shone in the evening as we drank Crémant de Loire on their terrace before heading into the main dining room where it was clear we had exclusivity of the entire building. A very elegant dinner ensued – classic French richness and intensity. A white asparagus creation with truffles, a perfectly cooked egg with girolles mushrooms, veal and shortbread biscuit with cream and fruit to round us off.
A lovely evening to finish our tour.
