In the heart of the Loire Valley, the Château de Valmer is a jewel of the Italian Renaissance, blending with Harmony: a vineyard and an exceptional garden.
Le The vineyard covers 32 hectares, including 6 hectares within the historic walled garden. In the cellars with their long tuffeau walls, the château's great wines age according to a winemaking tradition dating back to the 16th centuryJean de Saint Venant represents the fifth generation to work with passion in the vineyards of Château de Valmer, always with the same commitment to producing... refined wines, exceptional in sight, taste and smell.
The The history of Valmer Castle begins five centuries ago, when Jean Binet, advisor to Francis I, chose this site to create sumptuous gardens. While vegetation is omnipresent, stone also plays an essential role. The current buildings—the gate, the outbuildings, and the "Petit Valmer"—date from 1640 and are thework by Thomas Bonneau, advisor to King Louis XIII. In 1948, the main castle was tragically destroyed by fire; today, only the foundations and two porchesHe was symbolically rreplaced by yew trees trimmed to the proportions of the vanished castle, poetically recalling the fragility and preciousness of ancient buildings.
Valmer brings together not only vineyards, but also 5 hectares of Renaissance gardens, designated as "Remarkable Gardens"with elegant Italian-style terraces. These are extended by a kitchen garden overflowing with edible flowers, an exceptional collection of rare plants, a 50-hectare 17th-century classical park, and a remarkable troglodytic chapel dating from 1524. Unique of its kind, this chapel was carved directly into the local tufa stone. It consists of two naves of different widths and two bays with ribbed vaults. A small sanctuary extends from the main nave and houses the altar, upon which rests aombeau adorned with a recently restored triptychThe chapel also contains a magnificent polychrome wooden altar, Romanesque baptismal fonts, a imposing statue of Saint Martin and two 16th-century stained-glass windows depicting the healing of a possessed woman and a "miracle of the spider".
With its horseshoe shape, the vineyard fits into a preserved ecosystem of forests and meadows, on clay-limestone slopes overlooking the Brenne valley. The Château de Valmer vineyard allows for the expression of four facets of Chenin Blanc Sparkling, dry, semi-dry, and sweet wines. Produced through a demanding process, marked by meticulous daily care and scrupulous adherence to the complex stages of winemaking, these wines can be tasted at Free sessions offered by the castle.
- Continue your exploration of the Loire Valley with the circuit A getaway to the heart of the castles near Amboise which includes the Château de Valmer.
