Since July 14th, a new wine cellar has been built for the estate’s beautiful heritage vines, which were replanted across the estate’s 14 hectares in 2015
If you want to take over the castle of Chambord (Loir-et-Cher), you’ll need to first break through the formidable enceinte wall, which stands at an average height of 2.50 meters for 32 kilometers. Next, you’ll have to make your way through a forest twice as large as it was in 1840.
The national forest covers 5,433 acres, or about the size of Paris. The castle’s incomparable stairwells, lanterns, and fireplaces—all hallmarks of the lavish Renaissance style—will catch your eye before the fortress’s imposing keep. The vineyards are in plain sight from the castle, but you’ll need to pay close attention to spot them.
The vineyard at Chambord is a whopping 14 acres in size. The grape and its wine have a long and storied history in this castle. The young King Francis I ordered its construction in 1519 in the middle of the marshy lands of Sologne, drawing inspiration from Renaissance masters such as Leonardo da Vinci and his famous stairway to heaven.
The Chambord Palace as Depicted on the Cassini Map
The following year, on September 6th, the king issued an edict ordering the planting of 80,000 square feet of vineyard, including clones of white raisin grapes originally from Bourgogne, within a half-dozen miles of his mother’s Savoy castle.
Consequently, the town of Romorantin in Loir and Cher bestows its name onto the cépage that will serve as the sole identifier for the tiny (just over fifty thousand square feet) appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) of cour-cheverny.
As the American War drains royal coffers in the XVIIIth century, the state no longer has the resources to properly care for its many estates. Jean d’Haussonville, who has been in charge of Chambord’s national domain for the past twelve years, said that they have considered destroying the castle.
But in the end, Louis XVI decides to put hundreds of horses there. This vineyard, which was measured to be 5 hectares in 1817, was first accurately depicted on a map by Cassini, who between 1756 and 1793 was the first to create the relevé topographique et géographique à l’échelle du Royaume de France.
However, at the end of the nineteenth century, phylloxera devastated all of France’s vineyards, and the Chambord vineyard was all but wiped out. There was a revival in that area in 2015. Jean d’Haussonville takes the initiative to replant 14 ha.
The 54-year-old director and former ambassador, whose tenure as head of the company ends this year, explains that he specifically chose those parcels where he knew for a fact that vines had been planted there.
“From my position as cultural advisor in Berlin, I came to take charge of the company. When I imagined what I might do at Chambord, I didn’t envision myself doing quite as much farming.”
Chambord teamed up with renowned Loir-et-Cher vintner Henry Marionnet to rise to the viticultural challenge; among Marionnet’s many accomplishments is the 1999 purchase of a non-grafted, prephylloxera-free romorantin vine that was planted in the 1860s.
This famous Romorantin, along with pinot noir, sauvignon, Gamay, and Orbois (a white cépage native to the Val-de-Loire that is also known as Arbois and menu pineau) have all been developed throughout time at Chambord.
All of Chambord’s hand-sold wines have earned the organic seal of approval. Jean d’Haussonville explains, “We are a historic site; it was only natural to establish heritage vineyards.
We yearned to create picturesque landscapes and engage in time-honored pastimes. The view of the vineyard is indeed stunning, especially when the silhouette of Chambord is seen in the background.”
Banquet Fit for a King
On July 4 of this year, the new chai was officially opened in the renovated stables of the historic l’Ormetrou farm. This building’s Charpente dates back to the end of the XVIIth century, and a massive one-year renovation project led by the primary mecénat of Groupama Paris Val de Loire made it possible to bring it up to modern standards.
Since 2015, Claude Saussereau has become the vigneron responsible for crafting Chambord’s wines. Trained by Henry Marionnet, he harvested his first crop of Romorantin and Pinot Noir in 2018.
For the first time ever, a nectar of Chambord was sampled at the “royal” dinner held in 2019 to celebrate the château’s 500th anniversary. The vintner exclaims, “It was quite good,” with understated pride.
Jean d’Haussonville is pleased that Chambord’s wine has become an additional selling point for tourists and an avenue for menu diversification. But it’s not as simple as playing a lone hand of Viticole and cashing in on the château’s fame.
The chief executive thus guarantees, “We are a State sector, thus everyone involved must be respectful of the existing frameworks.” Currently, the château’s wine is classified as cheverny.
But Jean d’Haussonville reveals that the two of them are considering entering the “court-cheverny” competition, even though the idea of transforming it into a “Chambord” competition is rather appealing.
At the moment, guests can choose from three different cuvées, all of which are available for a 70% discount. The red wine from Château de Chambord (84% pinot noir and 16% gamay) is light and fruity, with a prominent flavor of cerise and a pleasant aftertaste (18 euros).
The winery’s white offering is a “Vin-de-France,” “monocépage” Romorantin, with aromas of white fruits, pears, and peaches as well as “beautiful roundness in mouth, substance, and tension” (30 euros).
Last but not least, the house’s IGP Val-de-Loire, made from a single sauvignon grape, releases aromas reminiscent of apricots, tangerines, and white flowers. A delightfully crisp and fruity treat with just a hint of smoke (15 euros).