One of the oldest estates in the heart of the Nantes vineyard region, the site is planted in clay and sand soils over granite and schist bedrock.  Brisk and refreshing, a mouth-watering partner for salads and seafood.  With aromas of orange peel, honeysuckle, pear and lemon, the palate shows a good minerality and a touch of richness, with citrus and apple fruit and notes of lime blossom and mint. Inevitable with a seafood platter or with a scallop mousseline. It will also be enjoyed as an aperitif.

Critic Review

Decanter Magazine: 90Pts (2019 vintage)
Drinking Window: 2021 - 2026

"Château du Cléray, just to the south of the small town of Vallet in the heart of the Sèvre-et-Maine appellation, used to belong to the Sauvion family but was sold to Grands Chais de France in 2007. Sensibly they have kept winemaker Pierre Sauvion in charge. Château du Cléray has 90 hectares of Melon de Bourgogne planted on sand. The medium bodied 2019 has ripe citrus aromas with vibrant texture and a saline finish with a slight prickle at the back of the throat typical of a sur lie."
Jim Budd

About the Producer

In the heart of the Nantes vineyards in the western Loire lies the Château du Cléray, one of the oldest estates in the region. The owners of the Château and vineyards the Sauvion family have passed down traditions from father to son for 4 generations. They are not only winegrowers, but also "makers of pleasure" and it is with passion that each year at the whim of "mother nature" they shape a new vintage. From these terroirs, the wines of the Château and Domaine du Cléray are born.

All wine tells the story of the people, the vineyard and the weather. Wine is a culture, coming from a cultivated terroir. By this term " Haute Culture ", Sauvion designates its best vintages, sorted from the best terroirs, from old vines, vinified with passion and high standards. It is about the excellence of the grapes and their expression in the glass.

Vineyard and Winery

The Château du Cléray is situated on a siliceous-clay soil that is crossed by a schist vein which will give minerality and salinity to the wines. The clay is the backbone of the region's wines. The silica will give the tenderness, the aromas and the delicacy to our wines. The specificities of the subsoils of Château du Cléray give the wines their unique personality. Marriage of skin maceration and cold stabilisation. Fermentation for 19 days at low temperature in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats then aging on its lees for 6 months with stirring.