Kathleen Van den Berghe and husband Sigurd Mareels were visiting friends at their estate in Tuscany when the desire to have their own countryside haven bloomed. After exploring different wine regions and sites, their feeling about Château de Minière was nothing short from love at first sight. The fact that Sigurd worked in the mining business (´Minière´ is the French for mining) seemed only fitting. But if the Château’s romantic setting at the heart of the Loire was what first drew them in, the estate’s winemaking legacy and historical old vineyards would eventually become the family’s focus.
Kathleen truly embraced the treasure that the 18 hectares of old Cabernet Franc vineyards presented: the opportunity to produce outstanding expressions of the Bourgueil appellation. Since taking over the estate in 2010, it has moved fully to organic farming. They now produce a full range of Bourgueil AOP wines, from a refreshing pétillant naturel to complex aged reds, showing all the shades and styles that Cabernet Franc can express itself as. The estate has since grown to a total of 29ha under vine.
