Located 20 km south of Angers, in Beaulieu-sur-Layon, the castle and domain of La Soucherie are located in the heart of a beautiful vineyard on the Loire wine route. Wine castle Chateau La Soucherie is considered a real ode to conviviality. In the middle of the vineyards, with a unique view of the Layon Valley, it is a magical place where you want to linger. This confidential address offers you a panoramic view over the Layon Valley. Timeless, it welcomes you to a unique stay where you can share your passion for wine with the winemaker.
The accommodation
The wine castle of La Soucherie welcomes you to the Maison des Amis, a stone’s throw from the castle, consisting of 4 guest rooms and to the Maison des Vignes, as the name says in the heart of the vineyards, a gite with 5 double rooms. If you want to stay in the heart of the vineyards, on the Loire wine route, the Maison des Vignes at Chateau La Soucherie is definitely made for you. At the fireplace or by the pool in this friendly, modern and cozy gite, the Maison des vignes is your ideal place for a beautiful wine stay with the opportunity to visit the castles of the Loire. The Maison des Amis is the ideal place to relax and unwind. Decorated in an elegant style, both simple and refined, with antique furniture, a warm and authentic atmosphere, it offers everything to feel in a cocoon. It is also possible to privatize this unique place for a wonderful wine tasting and stay with family or small group.
The winery
In the Loire Valley, 20 minutes south of Angers, Chateau La Soucherie is a historic 28-hectare wine estate spread over 3 locations and produces Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) wines from Anjou, Savennières, Coteaux du Layon and Chaume. During your wine stay you have the opportunity to visit the various installations such as the wine cellar, the sales area, enjoy a wine tasting etc.
Around the castle, 22 hectares of vineyards are located on a hill facing south and sheltered from the north wind. Here the Chenin Blanc is planted, the majority on the estate. On the rest of these hills, Cabernet Franc is grown for the red wines. You will also find the very local and surprising Grolleau grape variety here that brings fruity aromas and a certain roundness to both the rosés and the Gamay. The remaining 6 hectares are divided into 4 hectares dedicated to Chaume, a great sweet wine whose aftertaste is so typical of the Loire Valley. Here the vines are over 70 years old, and the depth of their roots allows the richness of this complex terroir to be transferred. Finally, the Clos des Perrières houses the last 1.8 hectares in Savennières on a hill formed by slate, giving the wine a nice minerality.
For sweet wines, the harvest is done by sorting, only 100% botrytis (natural sugar concentration) without adding sugars. The white wines are vinified and aged in oak barrels. Nothing is left to chance, the origin of the forests (Allier, Tronçais forest, Nièvre, etc.). The cooper’s heating method and know-how are chosen based on the type of wine and the nature of the soils.
