It seems that the origin of the Bourgueil vineyard dates back to the Romans, but it was the foundation of the Bourgueil Abbey in 990 that led to its expansion. Over the centuries, the vineyard spread outside the Abbey walls to cover the slopes and the ancient terraces of the Loire River.
Bourgueil AOC, delimited in 1937, is located west of Tours on the Loire Right Bank. With a mainly Southern exposure, the AOC 1,400 hectares extend over 7 villages in the department of Indre-et-Loire: Restigné, Benais, Ingrandes-de-Touraine, Saint-Patrice, Chouzé-sur-Loire, La Chapelle-sur-Loire and Bourgueil.
Bourgueil AOC has two main soils. Bordering the Loire river, the first is composed of sand and pebbles, locally named ‘graves’ or ‘gravel terroir’. The tuffeau soil, known as ‘tuff terroir’, is the second one and is found on the slopes, made of clay and limestone.
The main varietal of Bourgueil AOC is Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon can be blended but to a maximum of 10%.
Grown on the ‘gravel terroir’, the wines are fruity and light-bodied. These elegant red, with a dark ruby to deep garnet color range, can be already appreciated in their youth. They often display red and black fruits aromas with a present but soft tannic structure.
From the clay-limestone hillside, the ‘tuffeau terroir’ wines are complex and tannic. They require a few cellaring years to reach their drinking maturity.
