Sebastien Vaillant Valencay

Tasting Notes

The Chardonnay give this wine an expressive nose with intense aromas of lychees, peach and apricot. The palate offers flavours of white peach and ripe pear with a natural acidity and vibrant minerality.

Producer

Sébastien Vaillant learnt winemaking as the cellar manager for Jean Tatin at Domaine des Ballandors in Quincy. He then returned to his 22 hectare family domaine in Valençay, in the western part of the Loire’s Central Vineyards. Valençay achieved official AC status from the 2002 vintage and is the only area to hold this for both its wine and its distinctive pyramid-shaped goat’s cheese, which is also the ideal accompaniment for the wine.

Sébastien’s vineyard sits in the rain shadow of the nearby forest, which provides dry, healthy conditions for viticulture. The vineyards are currently in the 3rd year of organic conversion and will be certified from 2024. Unlike most producers, Sébastien grows Chardonnay as well as Sauvignon Blanc, making his Valençay wine a unique blend in this part of the Loire. The Sauvignon Blanc is grown on the distinctive flint soils, which give the characteristic mineral quality to all the best wines made in the area, while the Chardonnay is planted on sandy lime soils, which adds richness to the wine.

This great value Valençay is an unoaked blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Chardonnay. Sébastien feels the Chardonnay adds body and texture to the wine and offers a slightly different flavour profile to that of its more famous neighbours, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé.

Vineyards

Sébastien Vaillant's 31 hectares of vineyard, which continue east to Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre, lie on clay and flint soils. The flint in particular gives the characteristic mineral quality to all the best wines made in this area. Several plots grow on sandy and limestone soils over very stony and clay subsoils which add a richness and depth to the wines. Sébastien's vines are aged between ten and 35 years old.