Domaine de La Commanderie

The Vineyard

Created in 1982, the Domaine de la Commanderie now cultivates 55 hectares of vines in the Chinon AOC according to regional traditions and with respect for the environment. The vineyard extends over 15km between hillsides and plains and combines several different soils: sandy-silt, gravel-clay or limestone. The estate also has a remarkable cellar buried in the rock and two wineries.
The winemaker of the domain, Philippe Pain, wishes that the wines of Chinon keep their friendly and warm character. With this in mind, he handed over the reins of the vineyard to his daughter Clothilde in 2018 who had already joined the estate in 2003.

Terroir and know-how

The Commanderie estate has its own wine-making cellar, which allows it to best elaborate its vintages and express the specificities of the terroirs. Clothilde Pain vinifies her wines according to the "vintage effect" which she believes is the basis of the character of a cuvée. Cabernet franc is the most worked grape variety on the estate. It is distinguished by the finesse of its aromas of blackcurrant, raspberry or violet, a fleshy structure and good aging potential.
The clay soils of the commune of Cravant-les-Côteaux, having for mother rock the turonian limestone, are the soils of predilection of the old vines of Cabernet franc which bloom there and ensure a raw material of quality. Moreover, on the vineyard soils of the commune of Panzoult, the Cabernet Franc can express distinctly fruit and character.
The plot of Chenin Blanc is exposed on the southern slope of the estate where it enjoys a warm, chalky soil, ideal for obtaining the optimal maturity of this king of grapes in Touraine.
Each year, the harvest is done by hand very early in the morning, the berries arriving in the cellar are fresh, thus keeping all their quality and aromatic potential.

The wines

The Renaissance Cuvée is made from a single varietal of Cabernet Franc. This wine is the perfect synthesis of two terroirs of the region: that of Panzoult and that of Cravant-les-Côteaux.
It undergoes a long maceration, which favors the extraction of particularly concentrated and intense tannins. Then it is put in vats for several months to help the aromas mature. The Cabernet Franc gives the wine an intense and deep color. On the palate, blackcurrant and prune predominate, spicy aromas are also discernible. It is a fruity, round and easy to drink wine which is particularly good with game in sauce, grilled red meat, dishes with character and cheeses.

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